Cold Hard Evidence
by 4Shame
Summary: The law has taken an interest in the senshi and divulge efforts to reveal their identities. Five girls struggle to stay hidden as five boys are deployed into the fray to secretly seek them out. Perhaps some secrets are better kept than unveiled...or not.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Curious minds breed curious investigations. The senshi activity has acquired the attention of a determined male as he tries to unveil their identities. Of course the senshi in their high school age want nothing to do with being discovered. As the law digs up every piece of evidence they can to find the senshi, five nervous students do their best to stay hidden. Some secrets are better if kept secret but cold hard evidence doesn't always favor hiding the truth.

* * *

Curious azure eyes trailed after what looked to be a group of well-dressed police officials as she walked inside the walls of Juuban High School. Her mind raced with ideas of why they would be there, neither idea able to climb up to the top as she continued to think. Perhaps a fight had broken out and they were taking care of the aftermath? With a shrug, she dropped her silent inquisitions and walked leisurely through the familiar halls.

"Morning Minako-chan!"

With a kind smile, the said girl nodded. "Morning!"

She turned a corner and froze, a shorter blue-haired girl staring morosely out a window. Minako peeked outside to see more police officials and with a worried brow joined the side of the blue-eyed genius.

"What's wrong Ami-chan?"

Ami's lips curved into a small frown, her eyes temporarily flitting from the scene outside.

"I heard rumors that they were here for an investigation," she said.

Slightly confused, Minako arched an eyebrow.

"What kind of investigation?" She asked.

Ami was a smart girl and for as long as Minako had known her, she had come to recognize that the young aspiring doctor never concerned herself with frivolous rumors unless she thought them to be important.

Ami hesitated a moment, her voice seemingly disappearing as she tried to formulate a response. She didn't want to believe it but there was no other reason for the police, and what looked to be higher task forces, to be at their school. With a sigh she looked back outside.

"They're trying to find the senshi."

* * *

"WAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The wail was enough to deafen everyone within a ten-mile radius, a blonde pigtailed youth sprinting through the streets, as she often did every school morning. As if expecting her to come rushing through, pedestrians parted to make a clear path for her so they could avoid getting tackled. She panted as she constantly ridiculed herself for being late once again, her eyes rejoicing as the school appeared closer and closer with every step. Even more exonerating, was the fact that she still had a chance to get to class on time if she just sprinted a tad bit faster. Closing her eyes, she urged her legs to move quicker, the wind whistling in her ears.

"Just…a bit…longer," she huffed as she forced her fatigue and protesting lungs to the back of her mind. Her heart started leaping as she felt her feet come in contact with the steps of the school, her body zooming across as fast as she could manage. Eyes open, she saw the second hand of the school's giant clock slowly inching, her body nearly making it to her classroom. She skid across the school grounds, turned a sharp corner and had her breath taken away instantaneously, her eyes widening larger than they had ever been in her lifetime.

Her body collided harshly into a group of suited men, toppling bodies muffled with groans and moans of obscenities filling the halls. The young blonde's eyes started to swirl in a haze her aching limbs numbing as she sat pained on the ground.

"Owww," she whined, rubbing her head in attempts to eliminate the spinning images.

Angry men lifted themselves indignantly from the floor, their scowling eyes darting to the girl responsible. Luckily, the girl didn't notice, as her impaired vision continued to swirl.

"Hey…" she muttered, pointing warily at the ceiling. "Since when did we have stars on the ceiling?"

Her body swayed dangerously, her pointed finger wobbling with her. She gasped.

"They change colors too!"

Unable to stay angry, the suited men started to feel sorry for her, two men lifting her from the ground. She smiled wryly at each of them, her speech slurred and worse than before.

"Thanks. I'm…Usa…giiiii,"' she said sounding as though she were stuck in a drunken stupor. "Uuuuusaaaaaagiiii," she droned louder dragging out the sound of each vowel trying to get the men to acknowledge her by name.

Shaking their heads, they led her to the classroom they had assumed she was headed for. To their fortune, the teacher quickly recognized her.

"Tsukino, Usagi!" She said sharply. "Late again!"

The teacher's lips were pressed in a tight frown, her eyes glaring menacingly at the disillusioned girl.

"Sensei," Usagi smiled with little laughs. "I feeeeeel so happy to be here!"

The girl threw her hands in the air, and lunged forward. In her highly ungraceful leap, she had managed to trip over her own feet, her face planting itself unceremoniously into the ground. In a speed unnatural for any normal human, she got back up still grinning intently despite her now bloody nose.

The teacher's eye twitched, her body stiff with uncertainty. What kind of drug were these kids on these days?

"Uhh," the teacher said cautiously. "What's wrong with her?"

"She ran into us in the hallway, took a pretty bad fall."

The students in the classroom did their best to keep from laughing, hands slapped across their mouths to muffle the sound. Usagi had then started twirling, staring at her skirt as it bloomed out around her.

"Weeeeee," she chimed with the biggest smile on her face. "Woah," she would then grumble, her face turning a bit green. "Too fast."

The police men looked at her strangely, no one yet able to decide how to approach her. Finally, with much humility, a tall brunette went up to the blonde to direct her gently to her seat.

"Com'on Usagi-chan," she said with an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders. "Let's go find your seat."

"Mako-chan!" the girl squealed, peering gratefully at the green-eyed Amazon. "Did you get taller?"

Makoto laughed, scratching the back of her head. "No," she said. "I'm still the same height."

She slowly settled Usagi into her seat.

"You're as tall as a skyscraper! Coooool!"

She yanked on Makoto's arm, her body caught by surprise.

"Geez Usagi-chan," Makoto muttered. "Take it easy."

"Let me have some of your height!" Usagi bellowed, swinging her hands aimlessly at Makoto legs. "I want long sexy legs like you Mako-chan!" She whined with a pout.

Makoto blushed furiously, trying to take back her arm as carefully as she could. After what seemed like an eternity of tug-a-war (the rope being her poor arm), she finally broke loose, Usagi sitting dazed in her seat while Makoto rushed away.

"Makooooooo-chan!" She bellowed. "Come baaack!"

Ms. Haruna rubbed her head in disapproval as small snickers sounded across the room. This surely wasn't the start of a very productive day. She glared daggers at the suited men who had unconsciously taken a cautionary step backward and threw her hands up.

"Well, there's only one way to salvage the wasted time due to our lovely law-enforcers and unfortunate classmate's incident," Ms. Haruna declared sarcastically with a degrading look in the direction of the men. "Pop quiz!"

The class unanimously sounded in groans, Usagi suddenly blinking out of her haze. Anxiety-ridden she perked in her seat with fear.

"Quiz?" She panicked. "I didn't even study!"

"I guess I know what you're getting as a grade then," Ms. Haruna stated nonchalantly.

The students' hearts dropped at the sight of the premade quizzes. Somehow they imagined Ms. Haruna took delight in springing these quizzes on them when they least expected it, else why would she do it so often? With a troubled sigh and stress, Usagi buried her head in her hands. This was definitely the worse day yet.

* * *

There were too many finely dressed people flocking around the school, noted a particular student as she tried to discreetly weave her way through the traffic to reach her classroom. Fellow students were bustling in the common area, glancing occasionally at the law-enforcement which seemed to be the subject of their conversation. With narrowed eyes, the raven-haired female curiously reexamined the suited officials and found her way to a familiar group of girls that seemed to be the most engaged in the topic.

"Hey," she stated casually. "What's going on over there?"

The green-haired responder turned quickly to face her.

"They're interviewing all of the students for a secret investigation," she informed. "But there's a rumor going around that they're really trying to find the senshi."

The young miko arched an inquisitive eyebrow, eyes undoubtedly fleeting once again to the swarming suits.

"Not much of a secret if everyone knows about it," she accused with a scoff.

"I know!" The girl squealed. "But honestly, Rei-chan, do you think they'll actually find them?"

Rei frowned, eyes still glued to the police officials until she pried them away to observe the eager face of her classmate. With a 'hmph', Rei shook her head.

"The senshi are a joke," she replied bitterly. "It's very disappointing to see our law enforcement wasting precious citizens' money on the search for these imagined characters and it would do you well not to buy into their stupid theories too."

As convincingly as she could, she marched off with her nose in the air as if insulted by the fact that her peers were actually entertaining the idea that the senshi were real. And yet, her insides secretly churned with anxiety, a concerned look trying to cross on her features more than once. Why would they be investigating the senshi? Better yet, would she and her friends be able to evade them?

She looked crossly into the front office noticing the principal beckoning for her to come. Cursing mentally to herself she reluctantly complied.

"Chairo-san," she bowed curtly upon entrance. "You want to see me?"

"Hai, Hino-san, this officer here would like to have a word with you. Now don't worry, you're not in trouble but you do have the right to refuse speaking with him if you wish…"

Rei briefly looked over the officer and nodded.

"I may as well speak with you now. I hear you plan on interviewing the whole school so no point in trying to avoid you," she replied with distaste pleasantly protruding from her tone.

The principal laughed in amusement bobbing his head.

"That's Hino-san for you," he beamed. "Always sensible and never afraid to speak her mind. We expect great things from her in the future!"

The officer did not at all seem interested in the principal's words and made whatever gestures he could to convince the principal that he cared. Finally after the principal had finished bragging about the school's sharp-tongued and sharp-minded Rei Hino, the officer managed to pull the student into a vacant counselor's office.

"Please, take a seat," the officer said pointing to a chair.

Rei did so and awaited the questions. In annoyance she observed as the man shuffled through stacks of paper nearly giving off the look that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

"So, Rei Hino," he spoke, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"That's me," Rei muttered frigidly as she tried to remain patient despite her rising dissatisfaction with this officer's poor organizational skills.

"You live with your grandfather at the Hikawa shrine?"

"Yes," Rei confirmed.

"And I understand you work there as a miko?"

"Yes, I do," Rei again confirmed.

"Interesting," he said, scribbling notes on a paper Rei couldn't get a clear view of. "How do you like it?"

Rei's patience was dissolving, her jaw tightening as the pointless questions progressed. Why couldn't he just get to the point?

"Look," she started completely ignoring his question. "Why don't you do us both a favor and get to the point? I've got plenty of other more important things I could be doing instead of chatting about work at the Hikawa shrine with you," she stated bluntly.

"Hn," the officer grunted in response and nodded. "Alright then," he said placing his hands neatly on the table. "People say that you are psychic."

"I am a miko that has been taught ancient art forms by my grandfather that allow me to see what other's cannot. I wouldn't necessarily equate that to being psychic."

"But these things you see that others can't…" he drifted. "Is it of the future?"

"If it was then I'd be called a fortune teller," she remarked coldly.

The officer rolled his eyes, now realizing just how much trouble she would be. Perhaps he should have started with a student that wasn't so bold.

"Three years ago groups of students were reported missing, a nonexistent bus line was said to have taken them captive and then surrendered them back to the stop as if nothing happened. Do you remember that story?"

"Of course I do," Rei frowned. "It happened in front of the shrine and people blamed us for their missing children. How could I forget?"

"Well a witness claims you knew who was responsible for these strange disappearances."

"Yeah?" Rei scoffed. "Well witnesses also claimed that I chopped their young children into little pieces and fed them to my two crows who supposedly have the power to make me beautiful. So witnesses are definitely the best sources of information for every situation!"

The officer looked pointedly at her in discontent as she glared daggers.

"Look, I'm just trying to do my job," he stated plainly. "I'm not looking to offend you."

"Then why don't you just get to the point?"

The officer heft a deep breath and steadily agreed.

"The senshi. What do you know about them?"

Rei could not ignore the smile that wiped across her lips as small laughs of disbelief chorused through her.

"Are you serious?" She questioned. "That's what this is about? And all this time I had thought the rumors were false!"

The officer did not look amused as he silently waited for her to stop laughing.

"This is a serious investigation," he informed. "If you do not tell us what you know people might die."

"Oh right," Rei sarcastically added. "Because the girls dressed in miniskirts and heels might come slaughter people with their corny attack phrases. Oh wait no!" She shouted. "The _monsters_ that the girls in miniskirts fight will hurt us! I'm shaking in my seat, I swear!"

Again the officer stood without an ounce of amusement, eyes glaring as if he was tempted to resort to violence. It was bad enough he had to interview these students for any clues they could get on the senshi, but this girl was really trying his patience. Face stern and dangerously twitching, he slammed his fist impulsively into the table earning silence from Rei as she no longer was grinning.

"You don't want to get on my bad side," he warned, Rei's eyebrow raised.

She wasn't afraid. If anything, she almost invited him to lose his temper to further show how crazy he was for even trying such a task like seeking out the senshi who may or may not have existed.

"Now tell me, what do you know about the senshi? Three years ago that bus came floating back with the aid of the senshi right outside your temple walls. I know you saw something."

Rei scoffed.

"The only thing I saw that night was the back of my eyelids just like every other sensible person in the neighborhood."

The officer was increasingly angry, his breathing ragged as Rei continued to be uncooperative. She watched as he started pacing the room and took notice of the gold band on his left hand. Her lips curved perpetually upward in a devious grin. She was getting tired of this interview and wanted more than anything to get out.

"You're married?" She queried.

The officer eyed her suspiciously before nodding.

"I'm surprised," she said with her nose in the air. "Especially since you appear to have an unhealthy obsession with finding a mythical group of underage girls prancing around in miniskirts trying to save the world. Does your wife know about this? Would she be happy to know that her perverse husband has been trying to seek out other girls to fulfill his strange fantasies?"

The officer's face was burning red, his temper unleashed by her insulting assumptions. As if expecting to suddenly explode, he hastily shot his arm up with a finger pointing towards the door.

"Out!" He seethed through grit teeth.

Rei looked falsely surprised and pretended to stutter.

"But we were having such a wonderful conversation," she said mockingly. "Must we really end it so soon?"

"OUT!"

Again Rei acted as though she were hurt, bowing before rushing out the door. A snide smirk crossed her features as she nodded in approval.

"Well that was easy."

A tinge of guilt poked at her conscience but she shook it off as she reasoned it was for the better. Some things were better unknown and the mystery of the senshi was definitely one of them. Rushing to a secluded corner of her school grounds, she flipped open her watch to contact one of her friends.

"Minako-chan," Rei whispered. "Tell the others to meet at the temple after school. There's something important we gotta talk about. Minako-chan?"

Supposedly her interview with the officer had temporarily clogged her observatory skills as she suddenly noticed the distressed look marring her friend's eyes.

"I'm fine Rei," Minako reassured on the watch. "Just got finished talking with Ami about a _problem_ we're having over here. I assume it's the same one you're probably wanting to talk about at the shrine after school…"

"Probably," Rei muttered, looking concerned. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," Minako insisted. "I'm just letting the stress get to me too much. I'm sure I can manage though."

Rei frowned but said nothing more as she heard students marching from their classrooms. With a rushed farewell, she shut her watch and casually joined the crowd of students. The senshi would have to be careful especially since the police were looking for them. Their intentions had yet to be announced but Rei was certain it could not be a good thing.

* * *

"Do you really think we'll need them?"

"You don't believe that the senshi will just show themselves, do you?" The other asked.

"No," he mumbled in response. "But they're just teenagers. How are they supposed to find the senshi's true identities?"

The other man chuckled. "These aren't any ordinary teenagers. You'd be surprised by what they've accomplished long before they were even this age."

"What could have possibly done before the tender age of seventeen?" The man replied in disbelief.

"Things you wouldn't believe," was the response earned.

The five Polaroids of young teenage boys lay strewn across the table, a folder that had previously held the pictures lying open alongside them. While the police were interviewing the students and gathering as much information as they could on the senshi, these five would be enrolling into high school as undercover agents. Though many questioned the qualifications of these five, the head of the investigation knew they were the best option. The senshi would be found and that was a fact.

**Thank you for reading.**

**4Shame**


	2. Chapter 2

The school had been buzzing ever since theories of the detective's motives were confirmed. The senshi, who had fought evil in Juuban district for the past four years, were finally being investigated by professionals. Students and adults alike whispered about their own personal theories, many of which were quite absurd! Nonetheless, with such an event passing in their home terrain, they couldn't help but speculate. While students lingered much longer after the final school bell rang to discuss Juuban's biggest news break, five females anxiously departed to meet at their familiar spot.

Inside the temple walls they each exhaled in relief as though they had been holding their breaths since the moment they found out. Tension was present but no matter how serious the situation, some rituals just couldn't be ignored as the raven-haired miko unleashed her usual caustic remarks on her favorite target.

"Just be yourself Usagi-chan. It's not like they would ever suspect _you_ of being part of the senshi, the main princess no less," Rei laughed in amusement. "If they did happen to piece together your involvement with the senshi then I would just turn myself in! No use trying to avoid them if they're _that_ good."

Rei nearly keeled over in laughter, Usagi frowning as her fists clenched.

"Yeah thanks for the vote of confidence, Rei, you jerk," she huffed.

"Geez, Usagi, I meant it as a compliment! It's a good thing your personality is completely opposite of what people envision the senshi to be. That way there's no chance you can screw things up unless you decide to open your big mouth and expose us all!"

"I would never do that Rei! I'm not stupid!" Usagi said in her defense.

"Hn, could've fooled me," Rei replied.

"Why you!" Usagi cried as she lunged at the group's priestess.

They kept on yelling their insults towards each other as they wrestled roughly on the floor. They others sighed all the while shaking their heads as if this type of thing happened regularly.

"Guys!" Minako shouted. "I don't think fighting is the best way to discuss this!"

"Of course not," Makoto agreed. "But these two still keep at it nonetheless."

The bickering continued as Minako, Makoto and Ami tried to ignore them hoping that they would end soon. With Makoto leaning against a wall staring blankly out a window, Minako watching Rei and Usagi's spat in disapproval and Ami deeply engaged in the search she was running on her minicomputer, they patiently waited. After ten or so minutes the two finally quit, each breathing heavily as they moved themselves far from each other.

"Thank you," Minako mumbled, retrieving the attention of Makoto as she settled by the table.

Once Rei had caught her breath, she finally managed to ask the question she had been pondering since her video chat with Minako.

"Say Ami, how did your interview go with the police?" She asked.

Ami shrugged, eyes still glued to the computer.

"They don't suspect me," she stated. "But I had the feeling they were trying to recruit students in their investigation. I think they would have asked me had it not been for my mother's abrupt arrival."

"You're mother came?" Usagi blinked curiously. Ami nodded.

"She was quite upset that the school had allowed the police to interview minors without the permission of their parents. I believe she and a few other upset parents may be planning a lawsuit against them."

"Well that's good," Makoto chimed. "Won't that put a hold on their investigation?"

Ami shook her head. "I don't think so," she mumbled. "For an investigation involving so many officers, they can't have gotten permission to enter the schools without taking the proper precautions. I honestly don't think my mother has a valid case against them."

As if on cue, a small beep could be heard from her computer accompanied by a frown.

"What is it?" Minako bout curiously.

"I was right. The law has given them permission to use whatever lengths necessary to find the senshi," she informed, hastily resuming her rapid typing.

The room fell in silence, one particular question ringing through all their minds. Why? Why were the police looking for them and why did they get the feeling that the main motive that started this whole investigation was a bad one? They hadn't been doing much, as far as the senshi business goes, for the past year since enemies after Chaos were pretty dismal. From time to time they would have to deal with a straggling demon but it was nothing compared to how their activity used to be.

"Hmm," Ami hummed.

"What is it?" The girls unanimously asked.

They crowded around the blue-haired genius in attempts to see what it is that caught her eye but couldn't make anything out since the characters were scrolling about 100 meters per minute.

"Oh man," Usagi groaned, rubbing her head. "How do you read that fast?"

Minako and Makoto too both nodded in agreement at the question as they gave up on peeking. Rei, however, stubbornly stayed even though she herself couldn't keep up with the scrolling.

"Practice," Ami muttered.

Soon after she closed her computer, Rei long since given up on trying to read at the Ami's superhuman speed.

"So," Minako started. "What did you find?"

She looked hopeful although inwardly preparing for the worse. With a regretful frown, Ami meekly gave her answer.

"Nothing," she admitted.

The others seemed shock as the response was not one that came often from the blue-haired genius. With trivial glances they found themselves stumped, neither one able to decide what to make of this. Ami, however, spared them the awkward silence.

"I do however think we should be more cautious," she stated. "I have a theory about the order they implemented for interviews."

"Really?" Minako queried though she knew she shouldn't have sounded so surprised.

Ami bobbed her head and cleared her throat.

"I think they're going by grade point average. I would have been first but I was in the middle of a test. However, the second and third highest GPAs were also in that class and were interviewed later. To confirm my theory, I went to speak to the fourth highest GPA in the school and found out he was first to be interviewed in my stead."

Rei scoffed.

"Well then I guess that means Ondago-atama will be the last to get interviewed!"

A low growl was heard from Usagi as she was again tempted to lunge at Rei but she refrained, taking in deep breaths in attempts to sooth her wounded ego.

"Rei," Ami scolded. "Usagi has been working very hard on her schooling. She no longer has the worse grades in school."

Though Ami meant these words to be in defense of Usagi's honor, the message somehow fueled Rei's laughter as Makoto and Minako both had to hide their snickers. Oblivious to it all, Ami blinked in confusion as Usagi shook her head.

"Thanks Ami," she groaned.

Ami looked uncomfortable as her eyes shifted between Rei and the less bold pair of chuckling friends.

"What's so funny?" She questioned.

Rei grinned placing a consoling hand on Ami's back.

"I'll tell you later Ami," she said with one last laugh. "But back on topic."

"Right," Ami nodded. "Well when I spoke with the fourth highest, he told me that they had asked him to join the team."

"He just flat out told you?" Minako asked.

"Yes," Ami affirmed. "He likes to brag and since I told him I wasn't asked to join he thought he'd try to make me jealous."

"Ooh," Usagi chimed. "Sounds like someone likes you Ami-chan!"

As if thoroughly confused, Ami gave a strange look to Usagi before shaking it off.

"If you insist," she mumbled. "Anyways, I know we don't even talk about senshi business around our peers but we should be extra cautious around them since they may be working for the police."

"Cool, so stay away from the smart people," Makoto commented. "Sounds easy enough."

"Not quite," Ami interrupted. "I don't think they'll progress with the same interview pattern as today, since it would be too easy for the senshi to piece together that they're asking the top students at the school to investigate."

"Then why did they do it today?" Rei asked.

"To throw us off. It's a bit of a stretch to think this but at the moment it's better to be safe than sorry."

"So you're telling us to suspect all our classmates as potential spies?" Minako asked just to be sure.

"Yes," Ami replied. The whole room groaned.

"This is really starting to make me nervous," Makoto frowned. "Do you think they have clues to who the senshi might be?"

"Honestly," Ami started. "No. We're not obvious and we never leave a trail. Besides, Makoto works outside of school, Usagi is seen regularly at the arcade, I have extra schooling that I never miss, Rei is always here at the shrine working and Minako-chan...well to be honest Minako-chan I'm not sure what you do regularly but the point is we're all pretty much too busy to be able to be senshi, it shows in our schedules."

"Woo," Usagi sighed. "Hearing that from you Ami suddenly makes me feel less anxious."

"You're telling me," Makoto agreed.

Minako, however, appeared a bit uneasy as Ami's words seemed to further concern her. She had thought about her alibi quite often and for some unmentionable reason, she felt as though she might not be as safe as the others when it came to staying hidden.

"Well then," Usagi stated. "I guess that means this meeting is over."

The others nodded in agreement. They dispersed quickly, Ami rushing off to attend her mentioned extra classes and Usagi departing to hang out at the arcade with Naru. Rei waved goodbye to Minako who seemed less excited than usual but disregarded the fact once she saw Makoto going the opposite direction of her workplace to follow her.

With a long exhale she acknowledged the still prominent gut feeling that the time ahead of them would be a difficult one. But she returned to her chores nonetheless to keep up appearances.

* * *

"Hey Minako-chan, wait up!" Makoto called.

The blonde turned around with a smile, stopping as was requested.

"Mako-chan! Not ditching work are we?" She questioned playfully.

Makoto gave a light laugh before shaking her head.

"Of course not," she said. "I traded shifts with one of my co-workers since she has an important dinner to attend tonight so I'll be closing."

"Ooh," Minako somewhat grimaced. "Night shift on a school night? That's gotta be tough."

Makoto shrugged. "I guess, but at least I get paid," she smiled.

"That's always a plus," Minako remarked.

The two then commenced walking, Minako burdened by thoughts of the investigation and Makoto picking up on her distress.

"Minako-chan?" She said in a low voice. "Are you okay?"

Minako blinked as if shocked at the question and hastily nodded making sure she produced the brightest unperturbed expression she could.

"Of course I am," she said as she forcefully pushed a broad smile. The act alone made her heart sink as if the lie was too much to bear. Even her tear ducts seemed to be triggered as they threatened to give way. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

With a shrug Makoto could say nothing, frowning as she knew Minako wasn't being completely honest with her. Still she pretended to accept the answer as she no longer pressed her friend further. Minako knew that Makoto was probably still suspicious but it was never in her character to plague her friends with the concerns that she had even if they did ask. Though she was usually extroverted and sociable, she still had some surprising traits, one being that she did not like to share her personal problems.

"Well," Makoto stated after a period of walking in awkward silence. "I guess I'll catch up with you later. I've got tons of homework to do before I go to work and I wouldn't want to get a lecture from Ami about time management again," she said scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah," Minako smiled. "Those are never fun."

"Yeah," Makoto agreed, eyes cast to the ground as if feeling adversely about retreating so soon. With a heavy-laden sigh, she looked up, pushing a small curve in her lips. "Hey, do you think you could spend the night at my place tonight? I get lonely sometimes and it's always nice to have company..."

A sharp sting pricked at Minako's chest, her eyes forlorn as she noticed her friend's brief display of vulnerability. Makoto did that sometimes. Used her own pain to make herself appear weak and needy to guilt her into giving in to her attempts to discuss her troubles. Though it pained Minako to refuse despite the fact she had known Makoto had accidentally unleashed her own sorrows, she did.

"Thanks Mako-chan," she mumbled in shame. "But I doubt that my parents would allow it on a school night. Maybe some other time."

Makoto nodded, shaking the ache she had to feign an undisturbed expression. "You're probably right," she said. "I won't even be home anyways, so I don't know what I was thinking when I asked. See you later Minako-chan!"

The blonde waved slowly as the fleeting brunette disappeared from view. That certainly was not the comforting end that they usually had, Minako noted as she silently apologized to Makoto. She would be sure to try and make it up to her soon.

* * *

"These are all such strange theories," a young blond said aloud. "Why are we investigating this group again?"

"Because they think these 'heroines' might have something to do with the colonial disturbances in space," answered a chestnut-haired boy who was reclined in his seat with a hat over his eyes.

"Oh," was the simple response as the young man continued to review the files in his hands.

Three other males around the same age as the aforementioned two were also vacating seats inside the aircraft, each one distinctively different from the other. A stony unruly-haired boy sat with arms folded, eyes closed and appearing as though he was sleeping though the others speculated he may have just been meditating. Another rather stoic young man was seated by a window, deep green eyes observing the tiny landscapes they flew over and alas there sat a young Chinese man, scowl staining his face as he seemed to have an issue with their current assignment.

"Thinking about this mission makes me angry. Who is the fool that actually believes a group of teenage girls are responsible for those disruptions?" He bitterly questioned, grabbing the hilt of his katana as if nearly provoked to unsheathe it.

"Well," the blond spoke up. "I admit the idea that these girls actually exist _and_ are responsible for the space disturbances are pretty questionable, but the lore behind the senshi's battles seem to fit quite perfectly with the timing of the disruptions. And I know, Wufei, you're not a believer of coincidence."

Wufei grunted with an affirming nod. "I am however a believer in foolish fans that use real situations to fit in their childish fantasies. The disturbances in space are public knowledge. Someone who paid attention to them could have easily imposed the time frames on their ludicrous stories about these so called 'senshi'."

"I suppose so," the blond seemed doubtful. He returned his full attention to the documents in hand, noting carefully to himself anything that might prove useful.

Though he too held suspicions about the validity of these accusations, he was still inclined to consider them. After all, the space disturbances were starting to become more volatile and the last thing he wanted to do was ignore possible leads. Scientists and doctors had labored nonstop over the causes of these strange events but could find nothing. Only a scientist on the brink of insanity could be found applying a theory and that theory was the senshi. At first it seemed almost a joke but as the scientist divulged numerous bouts of evidence supporting his claim, people had secretly started to believe it. Heero had been the one to meet with him personally and Heero had been the main person responsible for reuniting the former Gundam pilots for this offbeat mission.

With a sigh, Quatre flipped to the pages of information about the school they would have to enroll in. Juuban High. It would surely be an interesting field mission.

* * *

"Wow, so this is where all the babes are!" an excited chestnut-haired male commented. "I'm surprised I used to hate school so much!"

"Duo," a blond boy scolded. "Try not to be so loud. You're embarrassing me."

"Just being seen with him is embarrassing," grumbled a sleek-haired man under his breath. He shook his head in discontent as he noticed flocks of females shamelessly staring at them as they passed. Weak women, always nosey and never paying attention to things that actually mattered.

"This way," came a monotonous command.

The boys turned to follow the unruly haired character and gradually made their way into the cafeteria for lunch. Classes thus far were less than enjoyable for each of them excluding Duo. Introductions were ordered by each teacher identifying the blond as Quatre, the unruly haired brunette as Heero, the tallest of the bunch Trowa and the proud Chinese-man as Wufei. While the others were disturbed by the amount of attention they received, Duo was quite the opposite. Why, had it not been for his four peers, he might have been in the janitor's closet getting "acquainted" with a friendly red-head from third hour. He sighed. She had such nice—

"Duo, would you pay attention?"

"Huh?"

He blinked in surprise suddenly taking notice of a pigtailed girl who sat in a strange position as she rubbed her head. What was she doing on the floor? Instinctively he knelt down to help her up, looking desperately at his blond friend for some type of explanation.

_"She ran into you,"_ Quatre mouthed quickly and Duo nodded appreciatively.

"Sorry about that, babe," he said, wearing his trademark sheepish grin. "Hope you didn't break anything."

"Uh, no problem," she mumbled weakly. "I'm used to this type of thing."

Her legs quivered as she tried to stand up straight, the stranger reluctantly releasing his firm grip from her arms. For a moment she seemed to be swaying before suddenly stopping. After some time spent with no movement, she finally attempted a step before feeling her balance betray her. Suspecting another fall, she hastily tried to reach out her hands to lessen the impact but felt nothing. A strange warmth engulfed her, her body feeling as though it had been wrapped in a heavy blanket. Truly concerned by the foreign feeling, she opened her eyes to stare into a sea of cobalt blue.

"You alright there, babe?"

A deep blush covered the girl's cream skin as she diverted her eyes quickly.

"I-I'm fine, thank you," she stuttered trying to ignore her swooning heart as she lightly pushed her way out of his embrace. She smoothed out the wrinkled creases in her skirt and stuck out a hand.

"I'm Usagi," she introduced. "It's a bit embarrassing to meet like this but it seems to be my signature introduction as of late."

"I find it to be pretty cute," Duo winked, earning another mad blush to which he grinned. "I'm Duo."

He shook her hand like any gentleman would, noting how it seemed to fit perfectly inside his. He was always a sucker for those types of details since he was a man with crafty hands. Touch was always his forte as he had acquired a theory that by "feeling" in the literal and figurative sense he could derive what was right or wrong and she definitely was right. Her bright blue eyes shimmered humbly as those shiny blonde strands rested almost heavenly around her heart-shaped face. What a dream, he mused.

"It's nice to meet you," she said noticing the four others by him. Before she could open her mouth to acknowledge their presence, she jumped at the piercing sound of Ms. Haruna's all too familiar voice.

"Usagi-chan!" She bellowed. "I do believe I gave you lunch detention for the duration of the week for being late once again!"

Usagi winced, laughing nervously as she whipped around to face her teacher.

"Oh it was this week?" She said innocently. "I thought you meant I had detention all next week!"

Ms. Haruna scoffed, folding her arms with nose in air as she often did when perturbed by a student.

"You want detention next week too?" She said, Usagi waving frantically in denial, but to no avail. "Fine! You can have detention then too! In the mean time, report to my classroom and get started on cleaning the boards."

"But Haruna sensei," Usagi whined.

"No buts!" She cut in. "Get to work!"

Usagi's head dropped, her encounter with the confident new student soon being forgotten. School was such a drag and she was more than happy that this would be her last year. As she prepared to walk away, she was stopped by a hand that had again grabbed her own. Gulping, she turned to meet Duo's sparkling blues.

"How about we meet after school or something, since you look like you'll be busy for the rest of lunch."

She didn't know why he was so forward or even why she felt uncomfortable about it as she bit on her lower lip. He was undoubtedly handsome, standing much higher in height than she with gorgeous chestnut hair pulled back in a braid. Usually she would be giggling and flirting nonstop but something…peculiar kept her from doing so.

"Sorry," she answered hesitantly. "I'm kind of busy."

She walked away before he could say anymore, his friends watching him with mixed thoughts.

"What was that about?" His blond companion asked.

Duo merely shrugged.

"I was just trying to make friends," he explained. "Besides it would help to get more insider information from people that have lived here a while and what better way than to penetrate their circle of friends?"

As if Duo's choice of words triggered a secret code, the others looked around to see another blonde and a brunette conversing with Usagi before she finally left to fulfill her detention call.

"Aino, Minako," Heero muttered.

"Exactly," Duo smirked. "You guys should really start believing in me more often. I'm starting to get depressed by your lack of faith."

Four pairs of eyes watched as the blonde wearing a bright red bow in her hair alongside a fatigue looking brunette settled at a table occupied by a petite blue-haired girl. They promptly memorized the features of Minako's friend and tucked them away for later use. Phase 1 was complete.

* * *

_angel313: Thank you for your review. I know the question of why the police want the senshi was only briefly discussed in this chapter but I plan to gradually reveal the motive as the story progresses. Hopefully it doesn't seem too dry in the mean time ^^;_

_angelic acquarian: Thank you for your review. Rei's situation of being at a different school will be discussed soon since I would hate for her to play less of a role just because she attends an all girls school and the pilots obviously cannot enroll there. I'm sorry to say but I do not particularly favor allowing people to vote for pairings because I'm not really that good of a writer ^^; I've got ideas of pairings though it pains me to pair everyone off because it could be argued as unrealistic. But as a hopeless romantic I simply cannot resist =] I can however say that I am not at all planning a Minako/Duo relationship outside of mere friendship which will hopefully come as good news for you! I am also glad that you think I have kept Minako in character. I find her to be a very complex person who is at times as ditzy as Usagi but serious instantaneously when given certain stipulations. So thank you for your input on her ^^ Always nice to hear that I haven't butchered any of the senshi's personas too much in this attempt at writing ;)_

_TopazDragon: Thank you for your review. I'm humbled that I've caught your attention and even more so that you have enjoyed the first chapter. Hopefully chapters continue to match and/or exceed the quality of the first since I often tend to become rather dull in my writing after a few pages. heh Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this chapter =] _

**Thank you for reading. And thank you to those who have taken the time to review, it is much appreciated.**

**4Shame**


	3. Chapter 3

**The bold numbers, there should be 2, are numbers for footnotes =]**

Aino, Minako was first to be interviewed after the temporary recess taken by police officials as most students proved more problematic than useful. However, despite the little progress made, they were more than willing to interview the teenage girl as her background called for much attention, not to mention her connection with a particular female seemed to further dig her grave. The deployed field agents had zeroed in on her already, their plans to inconspicuously infiltrate her circle of friends slowly coming together as their classes after lunch were now adjusted properly. These girls or Minako Aino rather, would not know what hit them.

"Minako Aino."

"Yes?" the blonde teenager responded, shining a bright smile.

"I'm sure you've heard by now what these interviews are about."

Minako frowned, her expression going from bright and smiling to scrunched and clueless in the drop of a dime.

"Well, to be honest, I'm not quite sure what these interviews are about exactly…" she drawled as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

The officer raised a perturbed eyebrow, situating himself comfortably in the seat across the desk to observe the girl for any false leads. The shimmering blonde hair, oblivious azure eyes did nothing to convince him that she was more than the typical high school girl which irked him. Surely if this girl was indeed part of the senshi she wouldn't appear so innocent. Or perhaps she had managed to become quite the actress. After all, her peers never suspected her, he found that out when he asked them who they thought the senshi might be. So to fool a whole school of people, she must have had a tight grip on this alias of hers…

"I guess I'm obliged to inform you that we are searching for the senshi and believe that they are amongst the students here in this district."

As if surprised, Minako's blue eyes temporarily widened in a splendid display of pure innocence before being quickly replaced by a pensive expression. The officer's tightly pressed lips could be seen curving further south as she played the naïve role perfectly.

"So," she started slowly. "D-do—"

She paused, looking frustrated as though the thoughts in her mind were too jumbled for her to properly express what it is she was trying to say. Inhaling and exhaling a long breath, she tried again.

"Does this mean you suspect me? Since. You are. Umm. Interviewing me?"

"No," the officer quickly replied whilst shaking his head.

"Whew," Minako sighed in relief.

The room was immediately blanketed with silence, the sound of the ticking clock echoing within. Minako could feel the palms of her hands start to sweat as she mentally cursed herself for being so nervous. When she heard her name being called over the intercom, her heart nearly quit on her. The walk to the dreaded office looked scarier than any enemy she had faced before but running away from the inevitable would have been much worse than just sucking it up and trying not to look suspicious. Slowly she soothed herself, replaying Ami's advice in the back of her head.

_"Imagine them as being one of your peers," _she said. _"If Naru or someone from one of your classes accused you of being one of the senshi, what would you do to prove you weren't?"_

The tension knotting in Minako's chest seemed to dissipate as Ami's advice repeated continually until she finally felt at ease. She eyed the officer and smiled.

"I have to admit," She started slowly, earning his full attention. "It would have been pretty awesome if I was!"

"Was what?" He asked cautiously.

"One of the senshi."

She beamed excitedly, nearly jumping up from her seat by the sheer magnitude of the thought.

"Just think of it," she grinned as stars seem to sparkle in her eyes in a dreamlike state. "Me, part of the senshi…I would have cool powers, awesome accessories and killer heels to show off my calves!"

Clearly convinced that this was just an ordinary girl, the officer's eyes started twitch as she continued to fantasize life as one of the appraised senshi.

"People would love me," she said.

"They would idolize me and…"

"Aino-san," the officer interrupted hastily, clearing his throat. "I understand your thoughts of the senshi are high ones since you seem to be so smitten about the idea of being one. But time is money and quite frankly I haven't the time to sit and listen to your whimsical daydreaming."

"Oh," Minako replied, stars disappearing immediately. "I'm all yours I guess…or ears…whichever one it is…or both…they both seem to fit well…so I guess it depends on your preferences…" she started to ramble.

Headache returning, the officer had to take a deep breath, before continuing.

"What do you know about the senshi?"

"Apart from the color coordinated uniforms, amazing poses, super powers and their ongoing fight with evil for the sake of mankind, not much," she shrugged.

For a moment the room was filled with silence. Minako sat patiently watching the officer as he contemplated his next move. The interview was not the breakthrough he had hoped for as the young blonde appeared no more guiltier than an infant when it came to the question of whether she was affiliated with the senshi or not. The only other teenager in the school that they were certain could **never** be part of the senshi was one Tsukino Usagi as she had on numerous occasions collided with groups of officers and peers alike in her plight through the halls. As a break, policemen had even made a habit of sitting in the bleachers during her physical education class for entertainment as she hardly ever seemed to go a second in that class without some type of disaster. He sighed.

"I suppose you're free to go then."

He didn't look up, instead shifting papers until he heard the door click shut in her exit. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number from habit.

"I got nothing."

* * *

Disappointment was the protruding word that seemed to embody his whole feeling behind the newest revelation. Duo Maxwell who had spent his hours expertly flirting with every cute girl he came across could not shake the emotion as he received word from Heero that Minako Aino was cleared as the main suspect. Not only were they back to square one, but he no longer had an excuse to pursue one picturesque pigtailed blonde who stole his thoughts ever since she denied his request to hang out. Oh the tragedies of life!

He sauntered reluctantly behind his troop of friends a.k.a. colleagues a.k.a. fellow-pilots a.k.a. kill-joys as they roamed the streets filled with students. Quatre had inconspicuously fallen back a few paces to walk in stride with Duo. More than likely he had some information to relay.

"Another message from the police…**1**"

Right again, Duo droned as he listened disdainfully.

"Minako is again the prime suspect."

His ears perked with excitement, his sheepish grin returning to his handsome features.

"You don't say," he laughed. "Then I know where we've gotta go."

He cut between the pilots to take lead which brought them to the storefront of an arcade. Wufei was not happy.

"Baka," he scathed. "We've got no time for games."

"Well then you better make time," he winked as he stepped inside.

Loathing consumed Wufei as he followed suit, Heero, Trowa and Quatre also entering afterwards. The chestnut-haired pilot could never keep focused, they reasoned. They found him seated at a booth to which they filed into.

"They've got food," Quatre commented with a smile. "I was starting to get hungry."

"Then let's order something," Duo said as he seemed to be searching for someone.

A broad grin spread across his face as his cobalt blue eyes met with a cute blonde who looked to be deeply concentrating on her game as she roughly jabbed buttons and shifted the controls. Looked like Umino was a good source of information after all when it came to a particular rabbit.

"Hn."

Duo turned at the familiar sound, Heero's cold Prussian blue eyes staring blatantly at him.

"What?" Duo asked innocently.

"You do know this is a mission," Heero remarked.

Duo scoffed, running his hands through his bangs.

"You guys make me feel like I've never been on one before," he whined. "I know what I'm doing."

He turned again to catch a glimpse of the "golden rabbit" as he liked to call her and grimaced when met with an empty seat. Disappointed again. He turned back to the guys in shock to find an irritated looking female at their table. Hopefully she wasn't the waitress. If so, he would be sure to leave a poor rating on service with her manager.

"Do you have some type of staring problem or something?" She questioned, looking directly at Duo.

Duo did not know what to say as she struck no chord of familiarity with him at all. How was it that he was already getting in trouble with women over here and he hadn't even been present for more than a day?

"I'm sorry?" He responded, thoroughly confused.

Neither of his fellow pilots seemed to be interested in saving him as they kept to their drinks that he hadn't even noticed arrived. Wufei, however, did look a bit annoyed. Nonetheless, Duo watched in amusement as the raven-haired vixen seemed to be steaming, her lips so tightly pressed together that he could hardly even make them out. Her amethyst eyes were ablaze and for a second he thought he could actually see some fire in there. What on earth could he have done to get her _this_ agitated?

"Rei!"

He heard, eyes immediately searching for the owner of the voice. There she was. She approached the table, looking pointedly at "Rei" who did not appear to be backing down soon.

"Would you be nice? These guys are new here."

Rei scoffed, brushing hair over her shoulder in an indignant manner.

"That doesn't give them an excuse to stare like perverts at us!"

Immediately after her phrase, a curt _ahem_ was heard as the blond boy, Quatre, neatly wiped his mouth before speaking.

"If I may interject, ma'am," he said politely. "_Them_ insinuates that we were all staring when I assure you it was only Duo."

For a brief moment Rei was speechless but shook it off as soon as it came. Meanwhile Duo was aghast by Quatre's traitor remark though he secretly applauded him for it.

"My apologies," Rei grumbled before eyes returning solely to the chestnut brunette as if expecting something from him. Now that he had time to think about it, there was another person standing alongside Usagi but his focus hadn't spanned out far enough to pay attention. Supposedly he was at fault somewhat for offending her and since he was a guy that didn't like to stay on the bad side of women for too long, he didn't find much trouble in apologizing even if he hadn't really done anything wrong.

He sighed.

"I apologize for staring," he stated in his most sincere voice. "You guys are just painstakingly beautiful that it's near impossible to resist!"

Usagi swooned instantaneously which contrasted to Rei who stood with arms folded across her chest unenthused by his compliments. This, Wufei could appreciate, as there finally seemed to be a woman who was immune to the braided-haired baka's charm. He smirked, taking a sip of his drink and taking notice of Duo's surprise which he hid well.

"So do you guys have room for more people?" Usagi giggled as she asked, earning a deep scowl from her raven-haired companion. She completely disregarded her previous inhibitions about Duo Maxwell and chanced an opportunity for more flirting.

"No," Rei answered for them, Usagi groaning at Rei's displeasure. "They don't have room. Let's go get another table."

As the young miko tried to redirect her friend the opposite direction, a whir of brown and green flashed by to drop into the booth next to the surprised Quatre.

"God I'm so tired," the girl groaned as she rubbed her temples. Her brilliant green eyes caught a glimpse of Duo's untouched glass and looked to find its owner.

"Oh," she winced, blushing profusely as she realized she had nearly ransacked a table of strangers. Hot strangers at that!

"Sorry," she mumbled as she tried to escape the booth. To no avail, Usagi's small but forceful frame slammed her roughly into Quatre's side who smiled politely reassuring he was fine. Wufei, who was positioned next to him, was not so kind as he silently murmured numerous slurs about stupid women doing stupid things.

Rei was again found glowering at the head of the table as she stood with hands crossed over her chest.

"Usa," she said in a low warning tone, but Usagi waved it off with her hand.

"Oh come off it, Rei," she smiled. "Stop being so tense and let loose every once and a while before you start looking as old as your grandpa!"

"Oh no," Makoto groaned as she felt a heated argument coming.

Curious, Trowa observed the brunette as she buried her head in her hands as though shielding herself from an impending battle. Duo too was upright, watching as Rei started to seep steam once more. In a shocking display, Rei took a deep breath and bit her tongue.

"Hey guys!"

The group looked to see Juuban's petite genius walking up to them, Rei temporarily forgetting her efforts to get away from the table of boys, Duo in particular, to greet her friend.

"Hi Ami," Rei, Usagi and Makoto chorused.

"I see you're all making friends with the new students," she smiled. "I've already had the pleasure of meeting four of you," she stated, eyes falling to the scowling Chinese man. "But I do believe I have yet to properly introduce myself to you Mr…"

"It's unnecessary that you know, weakling."

Makoto and Rei could be seen disturbed by his statement, both females' fists clenched as their jaws locked. The nerve! Usagi laughed nervously, wrapping her arm around Makoto's shoulders as if it would keep her from doing anything too violent as Ami unconsciously touched Rei's wrist.

"If that is how you see it," Ami muttered. "Then I won't pester you further."

She stayed perfectly calm, astonishing not only her friends but also the boys including Wufei. He scoffed in his corner seat, Makoto no longer aching to reach over Quatre to redeem Ami's lost honor since she had managed to retain it quite perfectly on her own.

"So," Duo chimed in, taking full advantage of the chance at conversation. "What do you guys think about the investigation going on at school?"

He jumped slightly as the auburn haired female of the bunch dropped her head unceremoniously onto the table eliciting a loud _thump_. Heero's façade of stone cold expressions momentarily cracked as he raised an eyebrow, Wufei nearly laughed until receiving death glares from Rei, Trowa seemed sorry for her while Ami and Usagi blinked with surprise. Empathetic, Quatre winced before bending his head over to see if she was okay.

"Sorry," she grumbled again, lifting her head slightly from the table. Seemed people couldn't stop apologizing today. "I'm just dead tired. Last night's closing was a b*tch. I don't know why I didn't just ditch school and sleep today."

"I'm Makoto, by the way," she said stretching out a hand as Quatre had more than earned the right to know who this girl was that kept having mishaps next to him.

"Quatre," he stated.

Usagi seemed to hunch over in a devious way as her friend shook hands with the cute blond. She would be sure to play some matchmaker with them when she had the chance.

"I'm proud of you for sticking it out though," Ami commented. "It's never good to miss school even if you might have a good reason for it."

"Yeah," Makoto mumbled. "You may be proud of me Ami-chan but I'm extremely disappointed in myself for putting school before sleep. I even skipped making my lunch so that I wasn't late! I think I might be coming down with something."

Usagi and Rei laughed as they understood it was well out of Makoto's nature to pass up a chance to cook for any situation. Ami, however, seemed pleasantly pleased.

"That's even better!" She exclaimed. "Perhaps you've finally realized the true importance of your education!"

"Or she was too tired to think straight," Rei remarked earning a laugh from Makoto herself.

"Rei's probably right," she agreed. They laughed, the boys strangely unaccustomed to being so closely pitted by a group of chatting girls. So this is what normal casual conversation looked like…

_How interesting_. Trowa noted.

_How annoying. _Wufei scowled.

_How pointless. _Heero grunted.

_How nice._ Quatre thought.

_Damn. Usagi sure has hot friends..._

As if touched by a mental prompting, Quatre looked with a raised brow at Duo who shrugged.

"What?" He asked in mock-innocence but Quatre shook it off.

"Do you have to close again tonight?" Rei queried.

"Unfortunately," Makoto yawned. "I probably won't get home until 3 or so in the morning since Wednesdays are usually when we purge the pantry and fridge for things that will be expiring soon."

"That sucks," Duo commented, grabbing the girls' attention. "And your folks are okay with you working that late?"

The girls stiffened, Makoto grimacing as she let the remark hit too closely. She knew it was unintentional but yesterday's conversation with Minako and her accidental unleash of her torturous neurosis was still too fresh as she was again plagued with uncomfortable anxieties.

"It's getting late," Makoto struggled to speak. "If I plan on staying awake during my shift I should probably go home and get some sleep."

Usagi wordlessly scooted out of the booth to let Makoto do the same. Ami frowned sadly as she watched Makoto put on a mask of reassurance that she was leaving for the reason mentioned.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" Ami offered.

"No," Makoto smiled. "I'll be okay on my own. I'll catch you all later!"

She exited quickly before the girls could rally against her and insist themselves upon her. Times like these she preferred to be alone so she could sift through her thoughts. After all, alone is how she had always been. With people it was too difficult, too unfamiliar.

The pilots could feel the tension in the air though they could not understand why it was there. Rei, however, was quick to point out Duo for blame.

"Great job, baka. I hope you're happy!"

She marched off, most likely to follow Makoto to be sure she got home safely. Ami momentarily shifted on her feet before dismissing herself which left Usagi with a confused American.

"Wow," he mumbled. "What did I do?"

He tried to make Usagi laugh but she couldn't. She bit morosely on her bottom lip before sighing.

"Makoto's parents are dead," she finally said aloud. "She lives on her own and that's why she puts up with crazy work hours."

Duo immediately felt bad, the others nodding in understanding.

"Well don't I look like a jack*ss."

"It's not your fault," Usagi assured. "You couldn't have known. Besides, Mako-chan said she left to get some sleep."

She feigned a laugh, her attempt at comforting Duo failing miserably as she ceased the laughter all together.

"Don't worry though," Usagi stated. "Makoto is strong and she doesn't hold grudges about things like that. Just try not to embellish on it by accident later or you might end up with a broken nose."

A light laugh escaped before Usagi departed in her own direction. Silently, Duo contemplated her words and sighed. Well how was that for a start? One day and he had already managed to get on the hate list of a fiery female and indebted himself to someone.

"Surprise, surprise," Trowa stoically stated as he took a sip of his tea. "Duo scared everyone away. Looks like silence isn't the only thing that'll leave you lonely…commenting on their dead parents works too. Smooth.**2**"

Duo looked incredulously at Trowa before shaking his head, catching the smirk from Heero and shocked expression from Quatre that he would say that. Some people were just full of surprises…

* * *

"Minako please come down stairs, we have company."

Minako yawned, stretching out as she pushed herself up from her bed.

"Okay," she responded. "I'll be right there."

From habit she turned to pet her cat Artemis on the head only to see an empty space.

"Oh, that's right," she muttered to herself as she was quickly reminded that he had gone away on a trip with Luna. It was lonely without him. Especially since she was so accustomed to him shadowing her wherever she went. He would always be there for her whether it be to talk, listen or even just to be there and she never appreciated it as much as she had now what with the investigation going on and restless nights wondering whether or not they'd expose her or the others. Though today's interview had happened without a tremor, she still felt anxious.

She pranced down the steps lightly, swinging around the banister and nearly face-planting into the floor. Her breathing changed rapidly, heart pounding as she spotted a suited official comfortably seated on a living room sofa.

"Aino-san," he said with a broad grin. "This tea is the best I've had yet. You are truly a woman of many talents."

Minako watched in horror as her mother giggled in response to the compliment and looked to be in the mood to entertain guests for a long period of time as she skillfully swept across the room to sit next to her husband.

"You are too kind, Officer," her mother replied.

Her blue orbs zoomed to Minako, motioning her with a slight tilt of the head to take a seat. Reluctantly Minako complied; feeling her skin crawl as she hesitantly inched towards a chair.

The scene was terrifying. An officer was sitting in her living room sipping tea with her cheeky parents and she could do nothing to try and _act_ like she wasn't worried by his presence and she was certain he noticed.

"You must be Minako," the officer started. "You're parents say a lot of good things about you."

"Do they?" Minako said, feeling her stomach twist painfully.

"Mmhmm," he confirmed.

"Oh."

She cast her eyes to the floor, trying to tune in on the conversation despite her pounding heart. Somewhere in there she heard that this officer was an old friend of her father's who had miraculously run into him on the streets earlier. Minako wanted more than anything to buy the story but she just couldn't do it as he seemed to be too adamant on hearing about her and her hobbies.

"Minako-chan is an amazing volleyball player," her mother said with a proud smile. "But she has hung up her shoes to focus more on school. At first I was a bit skeptical about it but we have taught her that academics come before athletics so it would be controversial to deny her from choosing that path."

Her father nodded in agreement.

"She received straight A's on this last progress report," he chimed. "We were very proud to see that since she hadn't had those kinds of grades since England."

"Since England?" The officer picked up, Minako's heart skipping a beat as she gripped her skirt in fear.

"Yes," her father continued. "She's a very smart girl but hasn't shown it for a while. Back in England she was taking advanced courses _and _ruling the courts in volleyball until she turned thirteen. That's when she started to get into trouble."

"This one?" The officer commented. "But she looks so sweet! I'm sure she couldn't have gotten into anything too serious."

"Yeah well, that's what we thought too," her mother said. "But she was a teenager undergoing those strange hormonal shifts. It was completely natural for her age," she reasoned.

"Hmm," the officer nodded. "You know, I've got a daughter that's about to turn thirteen. Mind giving me a preview of what to expect?"

"Nothing short of hell," the father remarked, frowning for a moment before clearing his throat.

"How so?"

"Drugs," Minako gulped as she spoke up, immediately smacking herself mentally. Her parents would give her chaos for admitting their 'family secret'. "I use to do drugs and would be lost for hours, sometimes days. Can never keep track of time though when you're intoxicated like that…"

She hung her head in shame, hoping desperately that he would cling to that story like her parents had so long ago.

"But it's nothing that can't be fixed," her mother quickly intervened. "We took Minako-chan and moved her away from all those bad influences, here to Japan and sought out the best rehabilitation therapists. She made a speedy recovery too and has very nice friends to keep her on track."

"Trials like that often make the family grow stronger once they've been overcome," the officer remarked.

"Isn't that the truth," agreed Minako's mother.

Awkward silence followed afterwards. Stern looks advancing from Minako's father towards her. She didn't know what she found to be worse, the officer and his prying or the lecture she would get from her parents after she expelled something they agreed to keep hidden.

"So how long have you been in Japan?"

"Nearly four or so years?" Minako's mother answered looking to her husband for confirmation who nodded.

"Wow, four years. How do you like it?"

"It took some time to adjust," the mother said. "But it has proven to be the best move yet."

"That's good news," he replied, shifting in his seat to face Minako. "So tell me, Minako, how has your time in Japan been? Engaged in anything interesting?"

There was a glimmer in his eyes as though he knew something that she hadn't wanted anyone to know and she felt sickened.

A bit annoyed and agitated, she shrugged.

"Just school," she stated as pleasantly as she could. "Like my mother said, I used to play volleyball here too but decided to quit since my grades were suffering. Other than that I'd say I haven't really done much but hang out with friends and study."

"I see," he nodded returning again to face her parents. "Quite a daughter you have here."

"Thank you," her mother replied.

"So friend," her father spoke up. "People at the office have been talking about this senshi investigation. Is it true that you guys are really looking for them?"

"Yes," he said. "Yes it's true."

Minako's mother broke into laughter as if it was a joke, the officer simply smiling as a reaction.

"I can't believe it!" Minako's mother exclaimed. "I thought Minako was just playing with me when she told me."

"I'm afraid she wasn't," the officer continued.

"That's discouraging," Minako's father stated rather coldly. "A similar investigation was started in England just before we moved."

Minako winced, recalling the event quickly. Moving was the biggest blessing she had ever encountered in her life since the police seemed to be fixated on keeping every blue-eyed blonde on such tight watch she could hardly even breath.

"Really? I never even knew."

"I assumed you hadn't," Minako's father replied. "Especially since the investigation ended in turmoil resulting in that whole precinct being released from duty along with the federal agents involved. It was an embarrassing time and England does their best to keep it under wraps. I would hate to see the same thing happen here in Japan, wouldn't you?"

His friend nodded.

"That would be nothing short of a disaster."

"I would say so," Minako's father commented, eyes flitting minutely in her direction.

"But wouldn't you say it was quite interesting that Sailor V sightings had ceased in England only for a similar identity to conveniently resume here in Japan named Sailor Venus? It might be absurd but if you think about it…"

"Officer," Minako's father suddenly sounded harsh, referring to formal titles as opposed to first names. "My family and I moved here at the same exact time you are referring to. I can't help but think that you're insinuating my _daughter_ might have some type of connection to these ridiculous characters."

"I'm not insinuating that at all," the officer assured. "I'm simply speculating. I'm sorry if I may have accidentally accused you and your family of anything."

Minako's father didn't seemed convinced, his eyes flashing in the direction of his daughter. Mrs. Aino frowned, sighing as she anticipated the bitter end of this get together.

"Minako."

Mina hastily stood up, looking at her father.

"Would you give us a moment alone."

She nodded, walking to the staircase as she took a last look at the officer who appeared to realize he had worn his welcome. For once, she was actually relieved by her parents, treading lightly upward until her parents knew she was out of hearing range.

"Come near my daughter and you'll be sorry," Minako's father threatened in a low voice.

"Threats like these lead me to believe your daughter has something to hide."

"She's a teenage girl," her father retorted. "They have tons to hide! But I will not sit back and watch as your men stalk my daughter like they did in England. By God if you damn near look at her suspiciously I'll make you pay."

"As you wish," the man bowed. "Thank you for the tea Mrs. Aino."

With that he left. The parents were uneasy as they waited a moment to speak.

"Do you think she could be—"

"Don't be ridiculous," Minako's father quickly shot. "The senshi are imagined characters that never existed."

For the time, his wife accepted the answer. It pained him to be in this situation but it upset him more that his daughter was once again thrust into the same issue that had fueled her drug habit. Though she showed improvement in her nature, he couldn't stand to chance her going back to her old ways. All those nights he stayed up worrying about her whereabouts were hell and he never wanted to go through that again.

* * *

**1**[This scene takes place after Minako's scene with her parents at the end of the chapter. Didn't want to smother with Minako time without diluting with some pilot/other senshi interaction. And, they were walking for a long time.]

**2 **[bwahaha that's probably only funny to me XD]

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

agoraphobia, Alycee Lanet, angelic acquarian and TopazDragon, thank you for your reviews. I intend on responding to your comments soon but have little time at the moment and am anxious to post this chapter. However I will say that I do plan to have pairings but none of them are yet determined. I can say though that it will not be Minako/Duo or Rei/Wufei if that helps any =] Thanks for reading and I truly appreciate all your comments and thoughts. Thank you.

**4Shame **


	4. Chapter 4

Makoto yawned, rubbing her eyes as she sat patiently in the student lobby awaiting her turn to be interviewed. She wasn't nervous, surprisingly, but she figured it was probably due to immense fatigue. After all, she was beginning to think the thin layered plastic chair she was currently occupying was a custom made mattress from Switzerland! Surely this was an extravagant hallucination otherwise she would have to ask the secretary where she could buy some of these lavish chairs for her own apartment. She laughed lightly to herself, sinking lower in her seat as time passed.

Could they really find the senshi? In all her years here, she never stopped to think that someday the police force would advocate a search for them. Heck, last she thought, she was under the impression that most people still thought them to be a hoax but now it seemed that people were starting to consider it. Within days people had started to flock around old newspaper articles about senshi sightings initiating their own private investigations. Thousands of websites were produced evaluating various claims of evidence that they existed and another few thousand popped up to try and prove that they didn't exist. Even the school was starting to gain attention as transfer students were endless, the administration office having difficulty trying to get them to go back to their own academies.

With all this hustle and bustle, Makoto had difficulty believing that the police could continue much longer. Though there were many supporters, there were just as many naysayers posted to criticize the population that believed in this parade. For Makoto and the others, she assumed, the senshi were probably in favor of the naysayers.

"Kino Makoto."

Tired green eyes looked up in response before she nodded and stood from her seat.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered as she entered the office for the interrogation.

* * *

Ami Mizuno sat quietly at her usual table in the library, books neatly strewn across her worktop as she skimmed lines and lines of text in search for what she wanted. It was a simple research paper and though students had largely preferred to use the Internet as a search engine for efficiently finding information, she still preferred to resort to the hard text she could actually touch.

"Hey babe, mind if I join you?"

A bit perturbed, Ami found it difficult to push an unbothered expression onto her cream features as she looked to behold the same chestnut-haired American that had elicited such a stale end to the previous day's encounter. For a moment her eyes also traveled to note the number of _empty_ tables but disregarded the observation.

"S-sure," she hesitantly stated. She imagined she really didn't need to say anything given he was already grabbing a seat to sit down across from her before she even answered.

"Thanks," he smiled earning a small blush on Ami's pale cheeks. Despite her slightly annoyed feeling, she couldn't deny that he was quite handsome.

Astutely she snapped her head back down to search through the books on the table, putting an abrupt end to the realized fact that he was gorgeous. She repositioned her glasses as her eyes ravaged through the lines of characters, her finger occasionally taking part in the work as it ran alongside the text. A deep sigh escaped, her strong study habits resituating from their disturbance until…

"I hear you're the smartest person in this school."

Disheartened, she could feel her annoyance swelling once more. With a tight frown she scrunched her brow and again looked to Duo.

"I have the highest scores," she said. "But it doesn't necessarily make me the smartest."

"Aww," he droned. "And you're humble! Don't come across that too often."

"Oh," was Ami's simple response as she tried to return to her studies. Unfortunately, Duo seemed to be in a rather talkative mood.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Ami nearly choked at the question, his inquiries suddenly catching her off guard as a fit of coughs overtook her. Immediately she picked up a book and rammed her face behind it to hide her cherry red features. Though it seemed like an innocent question, it was one that had always made her react hazardously.

She cleared her throat, "No," she replied quietly. "I don't."

"You've got to be kidding me," Duo grinned, leaning over the table towards her with a hand lowering her book just enough to see her eyes. "With looks like yours I thought for sure you'd be taken."

Ami gulped uncomfortably and shook her head.

"Nope, besides," she muttered. "I don't have time for a boyfriend."

Duo laughed a bit and nodded.

"I understand."

He sighed as he sank back in his seat, pulling his hands behind his head. From the looks of it, he had no intention of studying and Ami couldn't help but notice this.

"So," he said trying to sound casual. "Does Usagi have a boyfriend?"

A light seemed to click on inside Ami's head as she realized why he had asked the random question. Of course! He had been eyeing her a majority of the time at the arcade and by Rei's description, practically drooling. Relieved, she felt her inhibitions lessen as her book lowered from her face.

"Technically," she started. "No."

"Technically?" Duo questioned with concern. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"To be honest, it's really none of my business discussing Usagi's love life but I will tell you this," she let out apologetically. "She is in love."

"What?" Duo nearly shouted but held back in remembering where he was. "But she was flirting with me!" he whispered.

"All the girls flirt," Ami shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "But I doubt that Usagi was doing it on purpose. You see she's very friendly and guys sometimes misconstrue that as an advance."

"She giggled at my compliments, surely she must've been hinting that she's open to a relationship," Duo tried to reason but Ami shook her head.

"Girls enjoy compliments. Laughing is simply encouragement for you to continue doing so, not an invitation to court them."

Duo could quickly see that Ami had an answer for everything as she effortlessly dished him counters to his claims. He heaved a disdained sigh, ruffling his bangs almost morosely.

"Friendly huh? And she's already in love?"

"Yes," Ami replied, thumbing lightly through the pages of her current book.

"Hn," Duo grunted. "We'll see just how in love she is," he mumbled to himself.

Ami scoffed, shaking her head and choosing not to respond to his statement.

"So have you guys been friends for a long time?" Duo asked, trying to gauge just how well Ami really knew Usagi.

"Ever since middle school," Ami replied. "I transferred here when I was fourteen and Usagi was the first to befriend me."

She smiled to herself as she replayed her first day. Of course their first couple meetings weren't exactly on the most normal terms, pictures of old demons flashing through her head. Her lips then curved a bit southbound as the current investigation was brought to mind.

"And Rei and Makoto," Duo said. "When did they become your friends?"

Ami blinked, rushing back from her silent meditation to ponder Duo's question.

"For a while it was just Usagi and I, aside from Usagi's other friends. One day we decided to visit the Hikawa shrine together and that's where we met Rei," she informed. "It was quite a rocky start," she laughed.

Somehow Duo wasn't surprised since it involved Rei.

"How so?" He asked.

"Rei's a priestess," Ami explained. "She has a sixth sense that allows her to sense evil spirits. I guess she felt one and had mistaken Usagi as a possessed soul."

Duo laughed. "What did Usagi do after that?"

"She was actually still pretty enthused," Ami smiled warmly. "She thought it was pretty cool that Rei had such an amazing sixth sense even if she was wrong."

"She didn't get angry?" Duo asked in surprise.

"No," Ami replied. "She was too busy raving about how Rei had psychic abilities at the time but trust me; they get into enough spats now to make up for those days."

"You don't say," Duo scoffed. "How about Makoto?" He asked carefully, almost letting slip "and Minako" whom he had yet to actually meet. Ami was a sharp girl and he didn't want to trigger any suspicion.

"Makoto transferred here a few months after we met Rei. Most students were afraid of her but Usagi never did follow the crowd."

"She befriended her," Duo stated.

Ami nodded.

"From what I understand, Usagi fell in love with her as soon as she spotted her homemade lunch."

"Her homemade lunch?"

"Makoto's a very talented chef. Despite her intimidating physical qualities and reputation, she's actually a fairly gentle person."

"To be honest I really wouldn't have guessed that," he admitted.

"Most people don't." She went to turn the page but caught her eye on an interesting title within Duo's book bag.

"Quantum mechanics?" She mused with interest.

Duo was in the process of responding until he felt a harsh squeeze on his shoulder. He clenched his jaw to hide the pain and knew without looking just who was standing behind him.

"Please excuse Maxwell for a moment, there's important business we need to discuss."

Ami watched innocently and nodded.

"Certainly."

Within seconds, Duo was trailing behind an irate Chinese man who led him to a shadowed area of the library.

"What're you doing here Maxwell?" Wufei managed to hiss through grit teeth.

"Studying," he shrugged. "What else?"

"She's not your target, you idiot."

Duo huffed indignantly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"We seemed to be hitting it off well enough. I'm pretty sure I could milk more information from her than you could."

"That's not the point," Wufei rebutted, his fists clenched so tight they were beginning to ache.

"Let's be serious, Wu-man," Duo jeered. "The target you guys gave me would slaughter me alive. She hates me."

"That's what we're counting on," the Chinese man replied sharply, his temples twitching at the degrading nickname. They both instantly stood up straight when a pair of students walked by and nodded in recognition. As they disappeared, Wufei sternly asserted his last statement to clue Duo that their targets were not up for negotiation.

Duo could not say anything, instead sighing in dismay and leaving the library. Wufei watched him as he entered the hallway through the exit, his trademark grin returning as though he were never bothered. He went to check for Ami and was surprised to find her just around the corner.

"Oh," she gasped lightly. "Sorry for sneaking up on you."

"It's no problem," Wufei muttered, looking stoically at her. A period of awkward silence ensued before Ami shook herself from it with a friendly smile.

"Well," she started. "Duo left his bag on the table and I just wanted to return it."

"I'll make sure he gets it," Wufei assured as he took it from her hands.

"Thank you Mr. Chang," she smiled.

Wufei raised a suspicious brow.

"You know my name."

"My curiosity is torture; I can never seem to drop a question until I find the answer."

Wufei 'hmphed' and slung the bag over his shoulders before turning to leave.

"Curiosity like that could get you into trouble. You should learn to control it, weakling."

Ami watched as he walked off and rubbed her head. He was quite a character and it was clear he had no intention of making friends…or at least not with her.

* * *

Minako was stunned. Purely stunned. Her eyes could not be pried off of him for the world and though she knew she would certainly get caught if he decided to turn his head, she didn't care. At least then she'd be able to see his whole face…

Her heart melted at the thought of it. What a gorgeous man! A dreamy sigh escaped only for Minako to suddenly sit upright at the realization that she didn't make the noise. Irked, she looked to her right to see one of her peers with her head propped up on the palms of her hands, small hearts throbbing in the pupils of her gaze. Then as if a veil was suddenly lifted, she turned to notice that a majority of the females in her class were also in the same position ogling at the new student. She huffed indignantly, folding her hands across her chest with a deep frown. She nearly had the urge to stand up and declare that she had seen him first but somehow she didn't think that would play out too well. Still frowning, she silently tried to figure out her odds but slowly lost focus.

He was so hot! Sakura had said earlier that he hardly spoke but when he did, his voice felt like the gradual rise of heat swelling from the pit of your chest upwards like the antsy excitement you get when a gripping love story finally reaches its climax. Oh how she wanted to hear him speak! His sweeping brown hair gently concealed half of his beautiful face, his muscles lean and body clearly well cared for. He towered over most the boys, only a couple matching him in height but none as appealing as he was.

From the angle she could see him at, it looked as though his eyes might have been a deep navy blue but the lighting was terribly strewn by his choice of hairstyle, which did well in magnifying his mysterious persona. The concluding bell drew the attention of every student even Minako and they rushed to pack their things. She watched in adoration as he stood up from his seat and silently found his way out the door. Though many of the females wanted nothing but to maul him in his walk, they were each too shy to try, which came as a shocking surprise for each of them.

In a daze, she sighed and walked mindlessly from her classroom to meet Usagi in the hall.

"Good afternoon Minako-chan!" Usagi chimed toothily.

"Good afternoon," Minako replied half-heartedly as her thoughts still lingered on an unknown new student.

"Are you ready for History?"

Minako shrugged not really feeling the desire to speak as her senses were consumed with one person. Usagi frowned in disappointment beside her and sighed. By the looks of it, Minako probably caught sight of one of the new guys, not that Usagi blamed her. They were pretty cute.

A sharp gasp suddenly jerked Usagi's attention, her head turning to her friend.

"What is it?" she asked.

"He's in this class too!" Minako whispered.

"Who?" Usagi questioned as she tried to look in the same direction as Minako.

"OHHHHH," Usagi droned with a nod. "So you like Trowa huh? Dang."

"Dang? What do you mean by 'dang'?" Minako panicked, Usagi inching away nervously.

"Well umm, I uh," she stuttered. "I kinda thought you would prefer someone else, hehe."

"Someone else?" Minako retorted dangerously.

To Usagi's luck, the teacher had called for her students' attention, the girls forced to take their seats as she passed out papers. Usagi sweat-dropped, her decision the previous day suddenly not such a genius move as all the girls glared daggers in her direction. Even Minako was starting to look at her skeptically despite the fact that she had originally done this for Minako's benefit, or so she thought. Apparently she was mistaken as she tried to hide her head behind her hand, which was awfully small.

"As you all know this next project will be done in pairs. So find your partners from yesterday and get to work!"

Minako's eyes trailed after the boy she now knew as Trowa and nearly gasped in betrayal as she watched him settle by Usagi's desk. Despite the pigtailed blonde constantly mouthing apologies, Minako really couldn't bring herself to forgive her.

**AHEM**. Minako jumped slightly at the sound and looked up to see an unruly haired Japanese boy standing diagonally from her.

"Partner?" She queried a bit unenthused.

A curt nod was given as he stuck out a hand.

"Heero Yuy," he said expectantly.

She hesitated a moment, somehow perplexed about how he could sound normal but look so misplaced as his stone cold eyes peered in her direction. With a small shiver, she shook herself from her silent inquiries and took his hand.

"Minako Aino," she said with half a smile. "It's a pleasure."

* * *

A deep exhale escaped the raven-haired female's peach lips as she stood staring at her reflection. The previous night had not been a good one, her anxiety for the situation at hand manifesting in her dreams. She had awoken with a start more than once, her chest heaving in panic until she realized the nightmares weren't real. As a person who often had visions, it was sometimes difficult for her to distinguish actual enlightenment from her own subconscious uncertainties.

Her ears suddenly perked, the door to the bathroom creaking open. She rushed to the stall to avoid being discovered, her pride never willing to allow others to see her so uneasy. Gracefully, she stepped onto the toilet, uncomfortably balancing herself with her hands firmly planted against the walls. She sighed, the lengths she went to in order to keep people from seeing her crack, she was beginning to think it might not be such a healthy habit.

"Did you hear what they were saying about the Aino file?"

Rei's head rose in interest. Aino file?

"Yeah, they reopened it last night after Nidaime visited their house. He seems to think the whole family might be hiding the daughter's secret."

Rei's mind started racing, her recollection of yesterday rapidly spinning through her thoughts. Minako wasn't with them last night and to be honest, there weren't that many Aino's in this district that these agents could be talking about.

A laugh sounded as the water was turned on, Rei straining to hear what else they had to say as she also tried to balance herself upon the toilet seat. She cursed when her heal squeaked against the porcelain and froze as she heard the water immediately shut off.

"Did you hear that?"

There was silence afterwards, no sound heard as Rei prayed that she wouldn't be discovered. Finally with a 'hmph' the agents luckily shrugged off their suspicions and resumed their chat.

As Rei's muscles were tested for endurance, she found herself growing more and more anxious by the amount of information the police actually had. When she heard the pair click out of the restroom she released her station against the stall walls and exhaled with a concerned expression. The girls needed to make ramifications quickly before the police were able to catch them on their suspicions.

* * *

"What a day," Usagi sighed, situating heavily on a seat at the girl's "seclusion" table of the arcade. Given Motoki's knowledge of their extra-curriculars he was more than happy to let them congregate for secret discussions in a place other than Rei's temple. "Do you know how much hate mail I got in my locker today? I probably would have gotten jumped too if it wasn't for Makoto always being by me."

Ami laughed lightly, knowing full well why the girls at the school had taken a temporary distaste for Usagi.

"You're very fortunate that Makoto had time to accompany you throughout the day," she said with a nod.

Makoto scoffed. "Even if I didn't have time," she muttered. "It wouldn't much matter since Usagi was shadowing me despite our difference in schedules. I would have never known she was behind me if I didn't hear her keep screaming 'Mako-chan will kick your arses if you get too close. She's very grumpy from lack of sleep!'"

The three laughed.

"Well, either way," Usagi started. "I'm relieved you're still with me Mako-chan. Minako might assassinate me when she-"

"Hey guys."

Usagi stiffened instantaneously, her fingers drumming nervously on the table as she gave an awkward looking expression caught between a smile and constipation.

"Minako-chan!" She chimed a bit too enthusiastically, earning a skeptical look from both Makoto and Ami. "How are you? Did you have a nice day at school? How was your walk?"

"Usagi-chan," Minako said softly as she shook her head. "You don't have to worry about anything, I'm not mad at you."

A great sigh of relief escaped Usagi's lips as she eased back into her slumped position.

"Thank goodness. I thought for sure you would kill me. I honestly thought Heero was more your type but now that I think about it, Trowa does kinda match your preferences…"

"Eh well," Minako sighed. "At this point I've realized I don't have time for boys. Especially with all this…_stuff_ going on."

Catching onto her reference, the other three instantaneously frowned.

"Anything new come up?" Makoto asked.

Ami shook her head.

"No, not from my knowledge. How was the interview?"

All eyes zoomed to Makoto who shrugged nonchalantly.

"It was fine," she muttered, thanking her luck when Rei walked up and distracted everyone's attention.

"Well you look serious," Usagi commented.

"I just spent an hour holding myself up inside a bathroom stall. I'm damn tired so don't start with me."

"Rawr," Usagi hissed comically to earn a scowl from Rei herself.

"Why were you holding yourself up in a stall?" Makoto questioned with a raised eyebrow as Rei was never one to do such strange things.

"Long story," Rei iterated. "But that's not the point. I overheard some people talking about the investigation and it so happens they have a case called the 'Aino File.'"

Minako, as if caught off guard, suddenly began to cough, her heart jolting in threat of attack.

"Aino file?"

It couldn't be avoided. All eyes strayed in unity towards the blue-eyed soldier as if searching for an explanation. Ami, was the first to shake herself from the useless staring.

"That could be anything," she commented. "It doesn't mean it's directly tied to Minako."

"I was thinking that too," Rei replied. "But they kept talking about a guy name Nodaime who visited a family and reaffirmed that their target was 'the daughter'. I still didn't think much of it until they started talking about England and Sailor V."

Panic rushed across each of the girls as they seemed to have forgotten that small but crucial detail. In their ranks was a soldier who had been doing this work a year before either of them and it never occurred that a pattern so blatantly obvious was distinguishable to the outside eye.

"This," Ami took off her glasses in worry. "This is not good."

"I know," Rei stated, looking pointedly at Minako who had suddenly become void of emotion.

The young blonde didn't know what to think but from the look in Rei's eyes she could see that somewhere along the way, the raven-haired female had become slightly irritated.

"Were you even gonna tell us?"

Tension rose with the question, each person aware of the symptoms of one of Rei's hard to avoid anger flashes. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't always angry because she hated people, it was quite the opposite. She was angry because she cared too much.

Minako looked strained, her usually bright blue eyes dim and indifferent.

"To be honest," she answered. " No."

The girls were shocked by the admission, Rei going deathly silent as she fumed in her seat. It could be seen how enraged she was by the response but by some great self control she held herself back from exploding.

"Minako-chan," Usagi spoke softly. "Why wouldn't you tell us this?"

Minako exhaled shaking her head slowly.

"If I told you then you'd all try to come up with some sort of plan to divert their attention from me."

"Exactly!" Rei cried out, no longer able to refrain. "If you haven't noticed, you're one of us. If they find you then they find all of us!"

"Not exactly," Minako replied, her jaw locking in resistance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rei's eyes narrowed suspiciously, Minako casting her eyes elsewhere.

"If you all remained clueless, then it would look like I was using you to hide myself."

"Minako," Makoto spoke up for the first time but went silent, a frown marring her features.

Usagi seemed to be a bit confused, her eyes troubled as she voiced her concern.

"Wh—" she hesitated. "What does that mean?"

"Minako was essentially framing herself to look like the only senshi amongst us despite the theory that we might all be senshi," Ami informed with a frown.

"What?" She seemed astonished to the point of discomfort.

Rei who was only getting angrier could not hold back.

"So you were trying to be the hero," she accused with arms folded across her chest. Her gorgeous eyes flared dangerously as it looked to be the foreshadow of an explosion. "God Minako-chan just because you're the leader it doesn't mean you have to do all these things by yourself! Tell us what's happening so we can help dammit!"

The last few lines were at such a volume that people had begun to stare, Motoki sweat-dropping as he inched over and tried to modestly warn them.

"Hey guys, it might be a good idea to keep it down. The air in here is getting a little stale if you know what I mean," he said, doing his best to avoid getting caught in Rei's rage.

"Sorry Motoki," Makoto piped up. "We'll try to keep it down."

"Thanks," he muttered before moving off to do more work.

The brief disruption helped quench a few flames from Rei as she found her seat once more and attempted to completely calm herself as Minako sat silently in contemplation. This was not the first time Minako had done something like this and it was painfully relevant to the others that some personal habits of theirs might end up leading to their undoing. Minutes passed without a word until Rei tried to carefully voice her viewpoint without getting angry.

"Look Minako," she started. "The police are smarter than we give them credit for and if we can't work together against them then they'll figure us out even if you try to persuade them that you're the only one. They suspect at least two senshi are in existence and if they find evidence against you then they'll definitely find evidence against another one of us until they realize that we're all in cahoots with each other. We can't risk you getting found out."

Rei looked sincere almost to the point that her eyes hinted at being watery but she stubbornly shifted her head in a different position to make her look like she could care less whether or not Minako believed her.

"Rei's right," Ami then spoke. "If we can't get our act together now and work together, then we don't stand a chance."

Slowly, Minako observed each of them, her head nodding in response. She knew what she was doing was intended for their good but Rei had made a valid point. There was no telling what else these policemen knew that they weren't telling so they had no choice but to trust in each other, something she had thought she had no trouble with.

"I agree," she whispered coarsely. A small smile crept across her lips and the others seemed relieved by her agreement.

"Then it's settled," Usagi said as chipper as ever. "We'll deal with this together with no secrets."

The girls nodded.

"Agreed."

Simultaneously, they stood up, each one having to go their separate ways to fulfill their different engagements. Another meeting was set at the temple where they would discuss their plan of action but for now, they would just have to lay low as the police shadowed Minako.

As they went for the door, a hand had caught Minako's arm, her blue eyes meeting with firm amethyst ones.

"I'm sorry," she muttered quietly to Minako. "You just can't go on throwing yourself into the pit without at least consulting us. You matter too, you know."

Minako couldn't help but smile.

"I know," she said.

Rei nodded as if appeased by her response. She was about to leave until she turned back around.

"I hear you got a crush at school," she grinned.

"And where did you hear this?" Minako asked, appalled.

"Ami, so I know it's true."

Minako scoffed.

"So," she said. "Why bring it up now?"

"You need a boyfriend," Rei blatantly stated. "To kill the superfluous amount of free time you have in your life."

Minako laughed as Rei turned on her heal to leave.

"It would be good for you!"

The blue-eyed female smirked. Maybe a boyfriend wasn't such a bad idea…

* * *

Makoto gulped in distress as she reached the outside of the arcade. Hastily plastering a smile on her face she waved goodbye to the girls and paused a moment before making her way home.

She hadn't the heart to tell them the truth about her interview with the police as it hardly went "well" as she said it had. Though if anyone could help her it would be Ami with her extensive knowledge of every subject, she just didn't want to burden them with the trouble. Even after the slight attack on Minako for doing something similar, she still couldn't overcome her stubbornness and relay the truth of her predicament.

She sighed, her lips curving into a stern frown as her brows scrunched in urgency. **(1)**

_"Do you know of a boy by the name of Alexander Gates?"_

Makoto sat rigidly as she was more than familiar with the person mentioned. Her heart leapt anxiously; sweat accumulating from every pore of her body. Feebly she nodded, shame-stricken and worried of what would come from admitting this.

_"You do," _the officer smirked. _"I'm surprised you would admit it so willingly."_

Makoto was quiet. Every inch of fatigue and grogginess had fleeted the moment she realized she might not be in such a great position with this investigation.

The officer opened a manila folder and neatly spread pictures of a badly beaten male across the desk. Makoto winced, her hands gripping the arms of the chair as she noticed who it was.

_"Six fractured ribs, a broken arm, swelling in the nasal cavity, a bruised skull, punctured foot and internal bleeding."_

Makoto gulped, her eyes cast to the floor.

_"Sound familiar?"_

The officer seemed to be taunting her as he sat smugly in his seat always giving that small smirk like he knew he had caught her in his grips.

_"I don't see what this has to do with anything," _Makoto spoke hesitantly.

A small laugh was earned as the officer leant back in his chair, bringing his hands up behind his head.

_"Such a violent history you have and it's difficult for me to believe that you could just drop that bloodlust the moment you move to a new place."_

_"It's called a change," _Makoto asserted harshly, her frustration beginning to surface. _"People do it all the time."_

The officer scoffed.

_"A change," _he laughed. _"You're funny."_

He let the silence reign in as he shook his head still smiling at the young female's claim of "change" and sifted through documents until she again was inclined to speak.

"_I'm still not understanding what this has to do with your investigation."_

The officer sat up straight, his hands now resting on the desk.

_"Alexander Gates is the son of a very wealthy man. A recent school examination was given to him and he failed miserably. Angered, his father has declared his son's intellectual deficiency to a past injury approximately four years ago and is suing the person responsible."_

Makoto's eyes widened in shock.

_"What?"_ she muttered. _"But I—he can't."_

_"On the contrary," _the officer informed. _"He can. A little lesson about life. Men with money control the system." _

Makoto's heart was more than pounding, her mind jumbled with all that was happening. The investigation at hand was suddenly overshadowed as her own personal troubles rapidly surfaced. What would she do if Alexander's father really was going to sue her?

_"However."_ The word seemed to cut it right on time as if orchestrated beforehand to be this way. At a loss and apprehensive, Makoto looked up. _"There is a way we can help you get out of this."_

Red flags popped up immediately, her jaw clenching as she was consumed with conflict. She didn't want to hear what it was he had to say but a part of her knew that if she didn't at least consider it then her future was likely to become hell as her past was beginning to creep up behind her.

_"Shadow Minako Aino and find us proof that she is in some way connected to the senshi. Do this and we'll convince Mr. Gates to drop the charges."(_**2)**

Makoto looked heartbroken as she stared at the card in her hand. The police officer had given it to her, explaining that she didn't have to agree immediately but the longer she waited, the harder it would be to protect her from the powerful billionaire that had also sought to incarcerate her. Her eyes started to blur.

She had wondered how Minako had become a target but from the arcade she now knew the reason. The thought of turning in Minako for her own benefit was despicable and quickly earned a direct refusal from Makoto herself from the moment she heard of the condition. But, as an aching subject, her conscience couldn't believe her. If she knew she could never do this to Minako, her friend and comrade, then why did she still keep the card?

She shook her head, shoving the dreaded thing in her pocket and picking up her pace with her eyes to the floor. A turn on a corner and her body rammed into another, apologies immediately coursing out as she scurried across the sidewalk to pick up what was dropped. Her hands and legs felt as though they were moving a million miles a minute, her heart frenetically beating as her body became more and more uncontrollably frantic.

Then, in a shocking instant, a gentle hand grabbed her own, forcing her to subdue her haste.

"Please," came a sweet voice. "Let me."

Makoto gulped, her rosy cheeks growing a deeper red as she looked up to meet the sincere blue eyes of Quatre from yesterday.

"S-sure," she replied reluctantly, allowing him to help her up from her crouched position before he gracefully recovered the spilt items.

He smiled warmly as he approached her, Makoto shifting with uncertainty.

"I think this is everything," he said. "I apologize for bumping into you so callously. I really should pay more attention to where I'm going."

"No," Makoto interceded. "It's my fault. I've just been so sidetracked I forgot the other people use the sidewalk."

Quatre laughed appreciatively at her unintended humor and nodded. A warmth swelled in Makoto's chest, suddenly becoming a bit shy as she tried to grab her things.

"Thank you for picking these up for me," she said.

Again caught by surprise, Quatre refused to hand back her things. Upon seeing her skepticism, he again smiled.

"I still feel guilty about bumping into you. Would it be alright if I walked you home?"

Perplexed, Makoto's cheeks flushed even more as she fumbled for a response.

"You don't have—"

"Of course I do," Quatre interrupted politely. "Besides, it would be a great honor to accompany such a beautiful young lady such as yourself on your walk home."

Speechless, Makoto could make no objection as she finally accepted his proposal to walk her home. He was a perfect gentlemen and for the time, her troubles were forgotten.

As Quatre walked Makoto home, he could see the officer from his periphery following them. He felt guilty for taking advantage of such a nice girl but a mission was a mission and he was never one to fail.

_"She's ready," _remarked the officer. _"As vulnerable as a newborn kitten just waiting for a friendly person to lean on just like you asked."_

Quatre looked wryly in his direction, sympathetic of Makoto's predicament though he planned it himself. Her history was surprising but helpful in manipulating her for the sake of the mission.

_"You don't think she'll turn in her friend?"_Quatre queried redundantly.

_"Not a chance," _the officer replied.

_"I didn't think so either," _Quatre sighed.

The plan was simple. In order to get close to Minako, they would have to get close to her friends. Each pilot had their target and for Quatre, he counted on her weak emotional state setting in so he could find a way in and gain her trust. The officer who shadowed the pair smirked lightly to himself.

"And here I thought you were the sweet one," he said quietly to himself in reference to Quatre. These boys were definitely better than he had thought they would be.

* * *

How it happened, she couldn't be sure as she was away for a majority of the day and it took place during her absence. Her amethyst eyes shriveled in terror, body tense and heart racing. Her grandfather was positioned at the table, back towards her as she continued to wonder what she had done to deserve such a horrible fate. Slowly she approached, trying to smother the churning in her stomach with as much self control as she could possibly assert. Still, it would not leave as her hands now started to tremble.

As if her throat was gripped by a vicious hand, she could make no noise, the eerie silence in the room cradling her in discomfort as she continued. One lone hand, pale and colorless, lifted to gently touch her grandfather on the back, a slew of mortified sounds threatening to escape her rasped throat. His body felt limp but quickly snapped up as a line of drool was wiped from the side of his mouth.

"Oh, Rei, you're home!"

Rei's teeth clenched, eyes flaring.

"Grandpa," she said dangerously.

"Yeah?"

"Why is there a boy in the guest room saying he now lives here?"

Immediately the old man started to laugh nervously knowing all too well that Rei never took well to males, freeloaders or flirts that didn't know when to stop all of which seemed to be a part of the newcomer's persona though Grandpa really couldn't tell if he was a freeloader just yet.

"Well," Grandpa started. "He didn't have a place to sleep and there's a lot of work to do in this temple that is getting a bit difficult for me—"

"So!" Rei burst. "I always do it for you anyways!"

"True," Grandpa nodded. "But you're so young! I don't wanna see you pine away in the temple with no time to hang out with your friends so I thought letting him stay here would not only be charitable but also a source of free labor!"

"You're unbelievable!" Rei remarked with an accentuated humph.

Duo could hear the argument, or rather Rei's lecturing, through the paper thin walls of the temple. Despite what Rei might think, he actually didn't like this either.

"_I don't like this plan_," Duo complained. "_Why do I have to be the one stationed there?_"

"_Because_," Quatre asserted. "_You're the least likely to come off as suspicious…or smart for that matter. No offense._"

"_Yeah, sure_," Duo groaned in discontent, dragging his feet up the temple steps.

He sighed trying hard to tune out Rei's yelling as he lay staring at the ceiling with his palms tucked under his head. Minako Aino was the key suspect and so far, her friends really didn't seem to fit in as players in this senshi business. However, according to their sources, the girls spent much of their time meeting at the temple after school so the pilots had no choice but to put someone in close range to investigate. Duo was just disappointed that it had to be him considering there was a raven-haired female that really didn't like him all too much. But, a job was a job and though he didn't like being in living quarters with someone who vehemently hated him, he disliked not being the first to unravel a mystery even more. So one thing was certain, if there was something to be found about these girls' frequent meetings, then he would be the first to know and for now that would comfort him in his highly unstable position.

"You what?" Rei shrieked, Duo wincing silently in his humble bed.

He turned over to grab the mechanism he purposely packed to combat what he anticipated would be Rei's loud objection to him staying. Quickly he anchored the headphones securely in his ear and dug around his bag for his music device. With a deep sigh he felt relief as her shrieks were drowned out by a serenading lull of music. Then, tension suddenly gripped him as the music cut off. Hastily he shot up as if caught in a nightmare and observed his device.

The battery was dead.

He rummaged through his things, cursing, as there were no batteries in sight but sighed in relief as he found a charger. With the plug in hand he skimmed the room for an outlet and sat mortified by his discovery, a recollection hastily accompanying his thought process.

_"I must warn you," _the old man said_. "Especially if you're used to modern housing. This temple is a bit behind in technology. We just barely got rid of the outhouse and installed indoor plumbing!"_

Duo groaned, rubbing his head in rising discontent. He fell back on his bed and angrily threw the plug in a random direction, a sharp female's voice echoing in his ears. His thoughts and emotions of the situation could all be summed in a single word as he lay staring in frustration at the ceiling.

"Damn."

* * *

**(1**) Begin Flashback.

**(2)** End Flashback.

**Thank you for reading. I hope it was enjoyable! Also, thank you for the time you've taken to review, it is much apprectiated!**

When Darkness Rises: Thank you for your review. It is true that Wufei currently is just a woman-bashing character when really he is more than that. I am planning on developing his character more throughout the story as he interacts with the girls since he does not appear to be someone that just opens up to people without some coaxing and I take his bashing as a facade that he uses to keep people away. And as far as language, I was thinking about it and now it kind of disturbs me to read a Chinese character speaking Japanese so in observance of this, I have decided to use strictly English apart from things like "chan" and senshi and so forth. The other senshi, hehe, I am still contemplating their involvement but it is likely that they will be making an appearance but unfortunately will not hold dominant roles like the inners.

Henio41: Thank you for the review and I'm glad you love it!

angelikamayuka: Thank you for your review. Mamoru was mentioned vaguely in this chapter and will definitely be explained later in more detail. Also, thank you for the comment about the scene with lots of characters. Those scenes make me nervous and it sooths me to see it wasn't half bad ^^; As for pairings, I have finally come to a conclusion! Actually, I've already written the end of this story now I must work on the middle things lol.

Love Angel 1705: Thank you for your review. I am extremely flattered by your compliment and am glad you enjoy this story and the one about Trowa. This story is set in their last year of high school but they've already defeated/faced Chaos. This is pretty much my attempt at a transition story from high school to adult living ^^ And I'm pretty sure the outers will be included in this fic.

Alycee Lanet: Thank you for your review. Mamoru will be explained later but as for Usagi and Duo, I don't want to give anything away XD My apologies!

Requiem of Fire: Thank you for your review. I do plan to finish this but I'm terribly superstitious and am afraid if I completely promise I will finish this something will happen to where I do not. It may not be done quickly but I certainly do not intend to extend this past this year, if that is any help. Also, I'm glad you like the story. It is fun to write and I'm excited to get to the end since I've already written the last chapter XD Characterization is also something I prize so thank you for your comment! But sometimes I think that I'm not always great at it and hope you will be brutally honest with me when and if those situations ever arise. As for your lengthy review, don't sweat it! I love long reviews as much as I love long discussions about interesting topics which is a lot! So thank you for taking the time to write all that!

anonymous: Thank you for your review. I'm flattered by your compliment and I hope this story continues to be likeable.

TopazDragon: Thank you for your review. Minako's scene with her parents and the agent had to be one of my favorites and I'm so ecstatic that you were gripping your seat during the whole ordeal. As for pairings, I've now got them pretty much sealed and hopefully I can write them well enough that they're not too unbearable.

angelic acquarian: Thank you for your review. I'm so glad you liked the last chapter and hope this one has matched or exceeded the prior. I'm also glad it made you laugh since I sometimes worry my humor doesn't translate to others well lol. Surprisingly, I have come to a conclusion on the relationships that will result from this story. Usually I'm terribly indecisive but I've found my niche and plan to stick to it. Hopefully it comes out well.

agoraphobia: Thank you for your review. I'm glad the last chapter made you laugh and that the change in moods was distinguishable enough. As for Rei, I have to agree. I don't think she would approach them like she had but I was hoping the stress of the investigation and the possibility of being watched were enough to validate her actions. And as you said it was kind of necessary in order for the scene to play out ^^; I apologize if she was a bit too out of character there since characterization is something I value. And family, I'm so happy you caught that! I actually plan to use the girls family situations a lot throughout this story since I don't often see the parents that are there appear much apart from grandpa and maybe even Usagi's parents. But the girls do have a lot of family issues so many that I'm eager to exploit them ^^; in a nice way of course.

**Again, thank you all for reading. It is much appreciated.**

**4Shame**


	5. Chapter 5

Minako cursed her luck, again realizing how Usagi had accidentally wronged her in more than one way. Yeah the thought behind her actions were sincere, but she missed Minako's preferences by a long shot! Sure she liked the silent type, but cold and silent was not a combination she usually dove for, a mixture that had clearly belonged to her unruly haired guest. With a stoic stare, he skimmed the pages of their textbook, her mind racing about how a teenager could look so serious all the time. He definitely seemed terribly misplaced amongst all her peers and even his own…well, sort of.

"So," Minako drifted, "have you found a topic yet?"

Heero's cold Prussian blue eyes glanced at her, a shiver rippling through her spine, and nodded.

"Roman war tactics."

Minako's eye twitched. _Are__you__serious?_ She asked herself. She had half a mind to verbalize her less than enthused reaction but she was afraid that he might incinerate her with that death-stare of his.

"Unless you have a better suggestion," he mundanely stated.

With a deep sigh, she shrugged.

"Roman war tactics it is," she groaned with a shake of her head.

Yup, it was definitely clear now that Usagi had missed the mark completely. But then again, she never was very good at aiming…

She heaved another disappointed sigh, now looking through the book for points they could discuss in their paper. Words blurred together, her dislike of the topic growing more and more by the minute. Roman war tactics…it had to be the worse choice she could have ever imagined. She herself would have preferred something like exploring the Renaissance or discussing how the Mona Lisa had become one of the most recognized pieces in the nation but no, she would have to settle for testosterone driven war tactics, oh the joy. She only wondered how Usagi was doing with her partner...

Minako laughed unexpectedly. The thought of Usagi's reaction upon seeing that her partner was committed to academic success and showed up on her doorstep on a Friday evening to do homework was priceless, her giggles racking her body very noticeably. Heero, who had not been paying her much mind, now found his eyes trailing to her. In a short glimpse, Minako noticed him staring, her laugh quickly stifled as she curtly muttered an apology.

"Sorry," she quickly stated, diverting her eyes down to the text book.

Silence immediately flooded the room, Minako's mind hurting from having to focus for so long on a Friday night when she usually left to go hang out with the girls at the temple. Oh what she would give to get out of this surprise group work! Especially with the non-socialite that happened to be her partner. She sighed, mentally hitting herself. She was being a bit judgmental, if she didn't say so herself, and that was probably one of her biggest pet-peeves. Perhaps he just needed a bit more prodding than most people…okay, maybe he needed A LOT more prodding, but it wouldn't hurt to try, would it?

"So," Minako started, slamming her book shut. "What do you say we take a break, grab a little snack from the kitchen and talk?"

She immediately regretted her decision to abruptly suggest something other than studying, his eyes hardening even more. She was nearly ready to quietly reopen her book and pretend she didn't say anything at all, but her hands were stopped by a faint "sure".

Not completely aware of what just happened, Minako blinked a few moments in his direction, noticing that he had also closed his book and was getting up from the ground.

"Oh," she muttered in surprise, "okay."

She hastily stood before he changed his mind and almost zoomed out of her bedroom door with him in silent pursuit. As she descended the steps, she cringed, recognizing her father's voice from the kitchen. In her quick attempt to usher Heero back upstairs, she was unfortunately stopped by her father.

"Well who's this?" She heard, her head dropping as her luck continued to worsen.

As if unfazed, her head snapped back up, a broad smile appearing as she tried to play dumb.

"Umm, what're you talking about dad?"

Of course she knew Heero was in clear view but she hoped her father was too tired to start to prod about this particular male visitor. After all, whenever Ami or Usagi had come over and he spotted them, he never stopped to make conversation. Instead, he would give an awkward side-glance while sipping his coffee and grabbing one of his books from their humble bookshelf. At most, he would say something like "not too much noise now girls, some people are trying to rest", but that was only when Usagi was around.

Her father raised an eyebrow.

"I'm referring to the young man behind you," he stated sternly.

Minako scratched the back of her head nervously, "Oh," she let out. "This is my history partner and we really gotta get back to work before it gets too late," she answered, again trying to rush back up stairs.

"Now, now Minako," her father's lax tone again interrupted. "I'm sure the two of you could spare a moment with your old man, can't you?"

Minako inaudibly sighed, her cheery features expertly hiding her truest thoughts.

"Sure dad," she exhaled, her feet drudgingly stepping down the last steps.

Heero silently ensued, his lifeless stature finding a seat on the couch Mr. Aino had gestured towards. Soon after, Minako's mother appeared with a tray of tea, the young teen again depressed by her declining luck. One parent was torture but having two present was even worse. Her only hope now was that Heero would leave a fairly bad impression on them and they would forbid her from ever seeing him, not that she was seeing him now. But knowing her parents, when they liked a boy, they were pretty blunt and persistent in trying to get her to go out with him. Oh she hoped without end that would not be the case!

* * *

Rei exhaled in relief when hearing Makoto and Ami's voices traveling up the stairs to the shrine. It was hardly even an hour training Duo and she was convinced he needed to get out. When showing him sacred practices she almost felt as if he was purposely messing up as he clumsily fumbled with important tools nearly breaking many of her precious belongings along with other important things. The only reason he was still alive was due to her grandfather who reasoned he could not be blamed for his lack of respect for their practices since he was a foreigner. So for now, Duo was lucky.

"It's about time," Rei grimaced, "Let's go!"

Ami blinked in surprise, Makoto standing with a raised brow and hand on her hip.

"I thought we were going to help you with your chores and then watch a movie," Ami stated.

"That can wait," Rei replied, "There's no chance in hell I'm staying here tonight."

Makoto laughed, catching a glimpse of Duo who seemed to be unbalanced while collecting the tray of tea from the porch. Rei's gaze hesitantly followed, her eyes nearly bulging out of their place when she noticed what was happening. She held her breath, unable to speak as it looked like he was just about to drop the tea set for it to shatter all over the floor. She unconsciously gripped Ami's sleeve, her other hand gripping her chest.

A sway here and another devastating wobble there kept Rei in panicked silence, Duo sheepish as he kept trying to regain balance.

"Woo, that was close," they heard him say as he seemed to be steady. He stuck out a hand with a thumb up, only for the tray to again threaten a perilous plunge.

Rei gasped again, her face beet red from anticipation as she hastily looked away.

"Did it drop?" she hoarsely asked, covering her ears and shutting her eyes.

"No," Makoto replied, "It's still in- Oh," she cringed, again witnessing the brunette stumble to keep the tray steady.

"I can't stand another minute of this!" Rei grimaced, grabbing Ami's arm and dragging her along in their trip down the steps.

Makoto scratched the back of her head with a scoff, glancing at Rei and Ami before looking back to Duo who was looking towards her.

"You guys leaving?" He asked innocently.

"Looks like it," Makoto answered from a distance with a shrug, "I guess we'll see you later," she awkwardly stated, not necessarily certain of how she should act since he was still a stranger.

"Send Usagi my heartfelt hellos if you see her," he replied with a grin.

She laughed, waving goodbye, as she quickly moved to catch up to her friends.

"Will do," she said back.

As soon as they disappeared from sight, Duo stood upright with a smirk, the tea cups and pot resituating peacefully. However, a single cup full still waiting to be drunk slipped off the edge, its decent fast and inevitably yearning for a crashing end. In a barely noticeable reaction, the braided haired boy's free hand snatched the cup without a single wince, flicking his wrist slightly to catch the few drops of tea that had flown out.

"Grandpa," he called casually, "tea's ready."

* * *

"Soo…" Usagi drawled, dryly attempting to balance a pencil across the tip of her nose, "You don't talk much do you?"

Her new green-eyed partner only gave her a glance, ignoring the question and choosing instead to respond with a question of his own.

"Have you thought of any topics you wanted to research?"

Usagi nearly choked, laughing coyly as she scratched the back of her head.

"Uh yeah," she lied, quickly remembering that he had asked her to do that at the end of their history class together. Though she was known for her lack of effort in her work, she still didn't enjoy showing how poorly she treated her studies to strangers. So in an attempt to look like she actually was trying to contribute to this group project, she randomly yanked her book open and placed a dignitary finger on her chosen topic. "This is it!"

Her heart beat rather erratically as she witnessed him lean in closer to see what she was pointing to. But of course, she noticed him raise a skeptical eyebrow and she was certain her lack of preparation was exposed. She shrugged. It was bound to happen one way or another, she reasoned nonchalantly.

"You didn't think about it at all, did you?"

Usagi sighed, dropping her head in temporary shame.

"No," she admitted blankly.

He nodded.

"Is this your first group project?" He inquired.

She winced once more in shame, "No," she answered.

"Okay," Trowa calmly stated, "Then for your last group project, what were you in charge of doing?"

"Well, I usually provide the materials!" She smiled.

"That's reasonable," Trowa then responded. "Do you have a tri-fold display board?"

"Uhh," Usagi laughed, "no, not really."

Trowa again felt himself raise an eyebrow in scrutiny.

"Hn," he grunted, noticing her sheepish movements and finally deciding it would probably be easier just to ask her what she and her last partner had put together. "How about you just tell me what you and your previous partner did for your last project."

"Well alright," she grinned. "I provided the materials for our project and Minako was in charge of retrieving the historical documents and we both reviewed it together."

"And what exactly do you mean by materials and historical documents?"

Usagi laughed, again finding her cheeks flush red as she once more scratched the back of her head.

"Okay, okay, I kinda provided the snacks and the popcorn and Minako would bring the movie."

"And what movie did you watch last time?"

"Titanic," Usagi simply answered.

"The documentary?" Trowa prodded though he knew he probably shouldn't have given he had already known which Titanic she had watched.

"Kind of," she laughed, "it documented the love between a poor lucky but unlucky artist and a privileged well-mannered girl that wanted to jump off the ship."

"Interesting," was all Trowa could manage to say, Usagi laughing nervously in intervals.

She couldn't help but continue to scratch the back of her head as she watched him quietly sort through assignments he could give her. In a long period of discomfort, she grimaced, now wishing she had put just a little bit of effort in her work so she could have avoided this uncomfortable silence.

Her ears suddenly perked at the sound of her mother's voice traveling joyfully through her door.

"Dinner's ready!"

Usagi was instantly relieved.

"Well, you heard the lady," she grinned, grabbing hold of Trowa's hand who had tensed at contact. "Let's go!"

He was stunned, to say the least, by the sudden pull of her hand, his own hand uncertain of whether to return a clasp or just leave it be. Awkwardly, he followed, still jumbled about a sudden hand in his own while Usagi excitedly rushed to the table.

"Oh my, you are even more handsome the second time around," her mother teased, Usagi blushing madly with embarrassment.

"Some would consider that sexual harassment, mom," she groaned.

"Oh honey, only if it involves contact," her mother responded with a wink towards Trowa, "Clearly, my hands are far from him."

"Ewww," she and her brother sounded in unison, Shingo appearing from the hall.

"Verbal innuendoes are still considered sexual harassment," Shingo stated, "not that stupid over here would know that," he said nodding in Usagi's direction.

"Well look who's talking, the kid that can't even talk to an elementary school girl without getting hives!"

"I had chicken-pox!" Shingo quickly refuted, "Besides, that doesn't even make sense! How would that prove that I'm stupid?"

Usagi blinked a quick second before hastily responding with, "Weeeelll," she droned in attempts to cover her stalled comeback. "It isn't, it's just an embarrassing moment I brought up to…to embarrass you! So I win!"

"Oh, you two," their mother laughed, shaking her head. "You're trying so hard to make each other look bad when in reality you're just hurting your own image," she chuckled in her motherly way. "Dinner roll sweetie?" She asked, extending the basket of rolls towards Trowa.

"Thank you," he stated politely as he grabbed one and took the seat Mrs. Tsukino pointed to.

On a temporary hiatus from badgering each other, Shingo and Usagi too shook themselves from their previous argument to sit at the table after some fuming looks, their father being the only one missing.

"Sweetheart, dinner's ready," their mom called out.

Moments later, Usagi's father appeared with the paper in hands, his head buried between the articles.

"Goodness, so many to read," he muttered under his breath as he blindly tried to find his seat. He hit the table a few times, earning a couple laughs from his children and even managed to accidentally hit Trowa.

"OH!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't see you there? Are you one of Shingo's friends?"

"Dear heart," his wife smiled, "Seems like someone needs new glasses," she commented, her husband laughing in response.

"Well, I thought he might be taking after his sister and hanging with people far older than himself."

Shingo snickered.

"No dad, if I was taking after Usagi it'd be a female that age sitting at the table AND we'd be dating."

"Hey, what is this? Pick on Usagi day?" She whined, Trowa quietly observing them as they talked enthusiastically about Usagi's history.

Somehow he couldn't help but smile, though the foreign feeling of his lips curving in that direction was something he found quite peculiar. Still, his eyes glimmered slightly as they sunk into the laughing features of Usagi and her family.

"You and dad have an age gap!" Usagi said in her defense, as the others were crossly examining her infatuation with men far older than she.

"Yes dear, but I waited until I was 18 to date college boys. You, on the other hand, started dating a graduate school student while you were in middle school. There's quite a big difference."

"You made Mamoru out as a pedophile!" Shingo accused, shaking his head in disapproval.

Mr. Tsukino exhaled uncomfortably, once again reminded by the extremely inappropriate bond that boy…well, man had with Usagi. As a father, he was ready to reject her from seeing him, but Mamoru's decision to study abroad saved him from having to act.

"Mamoru made himself a pedophile," he grumbled.

Usagi pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest in offense.

"You guys just don't understand!" She exclaimed indignantly with a frown.

Her mother sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she looked to her daughter in thought.

"I remember when I said that to my mother about love and she told me some day one of my own would tell me the same thing," she mentioned with a shrug, "she was right."

"More soup dear?" She smiled towards Trowa who was still a bit entranced by the scene.

The others at the table were suddenly upright, remembering immediately that they had a guest.

"I can't believe I've been so rude," Mr. Tsukino said, folding his paper and putting it to the side. "What's your name son?"

"Trowa Barton," he responded respectfully.

"Ah, Trowa Barton. And you're in Usagi's class?"

"Yes sir," Trowa responded. He noticed Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino exchange a look between each other as if impressed by his choice of words.

"You know Usagi's single, why don't you two go out on a date some time?"

Usagi hazardously started to choke, Shingo snickering across the table at her rambunctious coughing. Trowa honestly had no idea how to react, but he was certainly amused.

"Dad," Usagi whined, "Could you be any more embarrassing?"

"Well, he's a handsome well put-together young man AND he's your age. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with that," she murmured, "I just happen to be waiting for someone." She stated the last part in a barely audible tone.

"Darling," her mother stated adoringly whilst her father and Shingo engaged in conversation with Trowa, "you can date others while he's away at school. Why, I bet he's on a date with someone right now," she smiled.

Usagi's eyes widened, "WHAT?" She could feel the sting in her heart, but quickly quieted down when she noticed the males at the table giving their full attention.

"Oi, Usagi, why are you suddenly yelling at the table?" Her brother frowned.

"Sorry," she sighed, blinking hesitantly as her usual drive for rebuttal seemed to disappear. Luckily her mother had been distracted by a topic that her father brought up, temporarily straying from her thoughts about Mamoru and Usagi's situation.

The young blonde fidgeted uncomfortably with her eating utensils, finally grabbing one and poking mindlessly at her plate. She never really stopped to think about it really, but now that it was brought up, it couldn't be helped. Would he really date other people while he was away? She knew she loved him and believed fully that he felt the same way for her. Why…they had been through so much together…it was hard to think that all those times were for naught. She sighed, sinking slightly in her seat. Many nights she had almost called him but somehow she felt that it might be selfish to distract him from his studies; but ultimately she was just insecure. Distance was such a straining reality, and she had trouble gauging how he felt when she had no way of seeing him herself. But then again, there was once a time when she lived on the Moon and he on Earth…sometimes she wondered just how they were able to make that work with the obvious trouble of traveling between the stars…

"Ice cream, Tsukino-san?"

The young princess blinked in surprise, realizing her plate had been emptied and cleared. She looked up to find a pair of softening green eyes, a blush creeping through her cheeks as she subconsciously gulped.

"Please call me Usagi," she chimed happily, to mask her sudden realization. "And I'll take two scoops!"

Trowa nodded, scooping out her requested amount. She noticed her parents still nodding their heads in approval at him and with a sigh, she graciously thanked him. Mamoru undoubtedly possessed almost all her thoughts, but a small lingering one just could not leave. While he was gone, it seemed that cute boys just always seemed to show up to replace him…

* * *

Duo exhaled in content as he tore through floorboards and furniture to plant his bugs. Grandpa had knocked out minutes after drinking his tea and as carefully as he could, Duo tucked him into bed placing grandpa in his usual sleeping position to avoid any suspicion from the ever-observant priestess of the shrine.

While in the presence of Grandpa alone, he would make sure to do his best but in the presence of Rei, he purposely botched his responsibilities to drive her crazy. Somehow the idea of drugging her tea to get her down for a nap made him nervous. It was that cold pair of amethyst eyes, he was sure. She would stare at him so critically and the way she always watched his actions often made him think she suspected he was up to no good. Of course, he was pretty sure her reasons for believing he was up to no good were off but to already have someone so suspicious of you from the start was something that didn't bode well with him.

Moving quickly, he repositioned furniture and mats perfectly, the room appearing as though it had never been touched. Small talk with grandpa reaffirmed that the girls faithfully met almost every day after school in the shrine so Duo was excited, to say the least, to find out what exactly they talked about. Surprisingly enough, these paper walls actually did well in muffling sound so he couldn't really eavesdrop without them seeing him.

"Shinigami reporting for duty," he muttered aimlessly, "do you read me?"

A period of silence ensued, a small ear piece resting peacefully in Duo's right ear.

"Sandrock responding," Duo heard, a grin tugging at his lips, "I read you loud and clear."

"Good."

Duo finished his readjustments soon after and carefully returned to his room with a glint in his eyes. To say the least, he couldn't wait to make use of the shrine's newest installment.

* * *

"His crush on her is unrelenting," Rei commented, her two friends amused by how long Rei had been ranting about the same boy. "I swear, when he's not busy trying to break something, he's raving about Usagi."

Ami laughed, remembering the library incident where he had tried to inconspicuously gather information about their blonde friend.

"I told him she was in love," she admitted, "But then again he did mention something about testing that theory…"

"He seems like that kind of guy," Makoto chimed in, "but you've got to admire him for his persistence, eh?"

Rei scoffed, "If you can call it that. I personally think it's better described as a dog in heat."

Makoto laughed, while Ami shook her head with a small grin. They continued freely through the mall, glancing at different outfits on display while they made small talk. Despite the fact that the three were each bogged down by the recent investigation, they still managed to feel at ease with their favorite method of retail therapy. With laughs they enjoyed each other's company, another topic arising to send a blush through one of them.

"So Mako-chan," Rei smugly started, "Word around town is you've got a new guy on your tail."

The tall brunette nearly choked, catching herself quickly before she face-planted into the floor.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered, a mad blush coursing through her body. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Ami was quite surprised, laughing slightly as she noticed Makoto's reaction, which had only added to Rei's smug expression. The brunette of the bunch tried to look distracted by grabbing a random hanger from a rack but Rei was far too invested in this topic to let her escape. Goodness only knew she was tired of talking about the American so an amusing love discussion was graciously welcomed.

"Mako-chan you're a horrible liar," she smirked, "You might as well come out with it yourself before I spill all the juicy details myself."

Makoto paused, two pairs of eyes burning into her back. She sighed.

"It's not as serious as you make it sound," she muttered in a low tone, Ami and Rei both giddy as they closed in for a better hearing range.

"What do you mean by that?" Ami quizzed, blue eyes staring brightly at her.

Makoto blushed, still not comfortable about talking this over. She knew she often tended to over-think nice acts from boys and she certainly didn't want to do that this time. But bringing up the event only geared her to believe there was some type of motive deeper than just being friendly…

"Well," Rei prodded impatiently, her foot beginning to tap on the carpet as she awaited Makoto's response.

Makoto scoffed, running a hand through her bangs with a sigh.

"Well, I sort of ran into this guy, literally, and our stuff went flying. When I went to pick it all up, he stopped me and insisted he do it on his own," she paused, looking to the both of them to see if she could just leave it at that. Unfortunately, attentive eyes made her continue. She huffed.

"Anyways," she said pointedly, fidgeting slightly with her fingers, "to make a long story short. He walked me home and that's pretty much it."

The brunette tried to make it sound casual, shrugging it off as soon as she told it and moving to another section of the department store. As if glued to her heels, Ami and Rei both were in close pursuit, still bent on squeezing out more details.

"Did you kiss him?"

"Rei!" Ami said in astonishment, but Makoto and Rei both new she was wondering the same question as she indiscriminately scooted in closer for the answer.

"Of course not!" Makoto retorted, cheeks warm as she wished they'd pass this subject.

"Did you want to?" Rei laughed to herself, noticing suddenly how much she sounded like Minako. She supposed that without the blonde here to ask the questions, someone had to do it and Ami just never openly asked those types of things.

A muffled pause and nervous scratching gave Rei her answer, eyes glittering with mirth as she nudged her friend.

"You did!" She exclaimed, giggling a little. "I bet if you had he'd be walking you home daily," she winked.

Ami sighed, venturing on a side thought. "He sounds so chivalrous."

At this Makoto and Rei glanced with surprise at her, noticing her dreamy gaze.

"Careful now," Rei teased, "Sounds like Ami might pursue him if you don't lock him down first, Mako-chan."

The blue-haired genius blushed furiously as she squeaked out meek rebuttals.

"I wouldn't do that to Mako-chan," she muttered, cheeks glowing crimson as she poured her attention into the sudden need to readjust her collar.

Makoto and Rei both laughed, the brunette's prior embarrassment now shedding as the spotlight moved to their resident genius. The taller female slung a friendly arm over Ami's shoulders and gave her a small squeeze.

"Don't worry Ami-chan," she said, "We would never suspect you to do something so heinous."

"Oh," Rei smirked, "So you finally admit to liking him huh Mako-chan?"

The brunette winced, again glowing with embarrassment which she had thought left her.

"I-uh-what?"

Rei laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she chose to move away from the baffled brunette to another rack. The two red-cheeked girls stared after their raven-haired friend. Though Rei's night had started rough, she sure recovered quickly with her witty tongue as she continued to laugh about her friends' demeanor.

* * *

"Of course," Minako sighed, drudgingly pacing through the streets with Heero at her side.

It really shouldn't have surprised her that her father had taken a liking to him. After all, he was cold, reigned in and would probably follow orders to a tee if put in that type of situation. A father's dream, she imagined, or at least it was her father's dream. She sighed.

It was actually a bit shocking. While her father asked questions, she always expected Heero to give a failure-driven answer; but no. It seemed he was rather sharp with his responses, impressing herself even with what he chose to say. At times it nearly seemed like he was a completely different person…or even that he was well practiced in becoming what others favored. She paused a moment, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Strangely, he sort of reminded her of herself…

She hastily shook the thought, rubbing her head as she shoved the idea back into the depths of her mind. They were nothing alike! And she definitely believed she spent just a little too much time studying tonight because her mind was haywire.

With some coaxing from her mother and the expected blunt but attempted inconspicuous nudgings, her parents had pushed out the two and told them they should take a break by "doing what other kids their age did on the weekend". Alas, though Minako had preferred to leave the company of one Heero Yuy, she still didn't mind since she knew she could find her friends at the mall (the place she had suggested they go to). After all, there was no chance Rei could stand hosting Makoto and Ami at the shrine with the presence of a certain American. Minako smirked. She wondered with amusement just how long Duo would last in that temple…

Heero took notice to Minako's fleeting smiles. It seemed she spent much of her time in her own mind, as her facial expressions changed without outside conversation. From her home environment he could already spot the type of relationship she had with her parents. The aged furniture still retained elasticity similar to a new set, hinting that the family most likely did not use them often. Family pictures were dated as Minako looked much more mature in comparison to the centered portrait of herself and her parents. He equated they probably didn't even see each other much, as he took in the unnatural feeling inside the living room.

Most likely, she grew up alone with ghost parenting, leaving ample time for her to do whatever it is she desired. He glanced towards her again. The fact that she thought fluently to herself only supported the idea that she was alone throughout most of her childhood. He sighed, that meant it would probably be difficult to find a mistake in her act; assuming that she was Sailor V and actively tried to pretend she wasn't.

A sudden stall was put on his mental train as he caught a glimpse of a fast approaching wall of objects. He could sense that Minako had frozen in place, his body immediately switching to pure instinct. Before he could even think, he found himself over Minako, hastily wrapping her in his arms and jumping to the ground. As debris and flying chairs whizzed over them, he shielded her head instinctively with his own limbs.

As the smoke settled, he slowly released Minako to see her cheeks slightly red with blush despite her worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked to be sure.

"y-yeah," she stammered, "Thank you."

He nodded in response, his eyes trailing away to find who was responsible. His cold stare landed on a masked individual strapped with explosives that held tightly to a high-powered shotgun. The mall was now under siege.

* * *

Makoto, Rei and Ami flinched at the sound of explosives, ducking in between racks of clothes as they tried to evaluate the situation. Shoppers all panicked, some instantly stained with tears as others were less severe in demeanor. A masked man was seen at the door of the retailer's entrance, serious eyes blazing dangerously at them.

"Don't do anything stupid," he ordered, cocking his gun as an extra warning, "I wouldn't want to have to make use of this."

Ami could see Makoto's fists ball in preparation, Rei's sharp eyes narrowing as she too had the same idea. Briskly, Ami held both of them by the wrist, earning a surprised look from the pair. The blue-haired student shook her head for them to stop, pointing discretely to a black object on the burglar's belt.

"A radio," Rei winced, realizing why Ami had stopped them.

"There's more people involved," the young genius theorized.

Makoto's muscles tensed even more, regret filling her despite the fact she knew that attacking might make situations worse.

"Then what do we do?" She whispered hoarsely, her eyes still trained on the armed robber.

Ami frowned. In actuality, they shouldn't do anything at all. This was a job for the police. It seemed to be an answer they had each known as their hearts depressed in valor. Immediately they were flooded with the harsh reminder of the investigation and the last thing they could afford is earning more attention by taking down what seemed to be a planned heist.

Makoto growled from her crouched position, Rei also grunting in disdain as she uncomfortably stayed put. Even Ami's hands were antsy as they often tried to reach for her favorite minicomputer. If she could just hack into the mall's security system and get the feeds from the security cameras she might be able to get a count on how many were involved. Or, she mused, she could intercept the frequency for the radio and listen in on their plans so they could deflect any further harm and—

"Ack," Ami groaned, rubbing her head in attempts to get her mind to stop analyzing the situation. Already her hands were clammy, wondering why she was resisting her instincts to find a solution.

Turmoil seemed to ripple through the three of them, their hearts vicious in guilting them for their lack of action.

"Maybe," Rei started hesitantly, already hating her suggestion before she even said it, "never mind," she grimaced. She was going to suggest that they page Minako and Usagi to get over here and save the day but obvious reasons shot down that option. Besides the thought of those two alone working on stopping a mass robbery was a little unsettling.

"Damn it," Rei cursed, "Those stupid cops are still probably brooding over the investigation. We're gonna be here for days."

They all flinched, now seeing the burglar roughly handling hostages nearest him. Makoto could feel her last thread of withdrawal splitting, her body unable to stay back much longer. A woman's scream was all she needed to finally give in.

"Ah, I can't do this anymore," she whispered gruffly, legs ready to spring up in attack. Rei and Ami were ready to stifle her movements until their eyes caught on a surprise that left them gaping in bewilderment at the unrealistic scene.

"Halt, you fiend!"

Makoto and Rei cringed at the sight, their facial expressions purely shocked by what they saw. Even Ami seemed flabbergasted as she took in the view, her mouth agape in attempts to voice her reaction, but to no avail.

The thief was not immune to shock either, his body frigid as the group of strangely dressed teenagers and dare he say adults? were posing in unison. The whole mall population appeared to have forgotten the lethal nature of their circumstance, small whispers heard in regards to the unexpected sight. From the reaction of the crowd outside the department store, it looked as though something similar may have been happening throughout the entire mall.

"This is unbelievable," Rei, Ami and Makoto spoke in unison, slapping their hands to their foreheads.

"In the name of our local upholders of justice and the senshi that protect us from alien attacks, we demand you stop your fiendish behavior!"

The three actual senshi had no idea how to take this, and by the looks of it, neither did the criminal who initiated the once violent robbery. Slowly, they watched as he again pulled up his gun, aiming it in the direction of the astounding group who stood fearlessly with determination.

"This town is crazy," muttered the criminal beneath his breath.

Stunned again, he hadn't even realized a strangely dressed "defender of justice" just to the side of him, a high-thrust kick rushing to his chin. He stumbled backward, hastily trying to regain balance until another vigilante charged, picking up his body and slamming it into the floor. The thief wheezed hazardously, keeling over in pain as he tried to find some sort of escape. However, these new arrivals were greatly unforgiving as they took turns in making sure he regretted his decision to rob their local mall.

When his body could take no more, he dropped like dead weight to the floor, the crowd in the mall peering in disbelief at the sight. Slowly, as the once hostages regained their composure an applause had broken out, the group of senshi look-a-likes triumphantly standing in the center.

"Wow," Makoto blinked hesitantly, "They actually did it."

In response, Rei and Ami both nodded, Ami's eyes flitting minutely to the unconscious robber whose wrist had caught her attention. She noticed a distinct design tattooed to his skin, barbed wire drawings encompassing his wrist with a skull intertwined with the image. Snapped from her observation, she noticed the group of "heroes" run off with a few words of advice that sounded oddly similar to the types of things the actual senshi would say when caught in the moment.

"For the everyday folks that come to the mall to frivolously spend money on overpriced items, we will always fight for you first! And don't run red lights!" Was only an example of the slew of words that came from the fleeting group of heroes.

As they passed, eyes trailed after them, the three still gawking from between the racks of clothes being the most stunned.

"We're not that cheeky, are we?" Rei asked in horror, her eyes twitching as she slapped a hand to her embarrassed head.

"I think we might be," Makoto commented, equally horrified.

Amused, Ami ran a hand through her short-cropped mane. She had always known they were a bit cheesy, she just didn't know that the others never observed this fact. Nevertheless, this new group of vigilantes would definitely make a huge change in the investigation by morning and Ami was curious to see how.

* * *

End Chapter 5.

Hello. I rewrote this chapter numerous times, not quite sure where I wanted it to go. I even have the nixed versions that I could post if you want to see the direction this almost went but didn't quite bode well with me. I'm getting to the "building" stage of this story where it may not be as interesting or entertaining as previous chapters were but it kind of has to happen XD lol This is probably why this has been hard for me. I want to write my "key scenes" already but I don't always like to write the stairs to those scenes. ^^;

Nevertheless, thank you for reading. Comments and suggestions are always welcomed!

varee: Thank you for your review! I know it is well passed your exam but I hope it went well! Also, your comments are so flattering. I hope this chapter was somewhat decent. XD

Darkitty04: Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you like it and hope it continues to be enjoyable.

Kylana: Thank you for your review! I'm pretty set in where I want this to lead since the conclusion is already written. I just hope it is a direction that remains entertaining ^^

ThoseRainyDays: Thank you for your review! I am so flattered by your comments and must also say that this is my favorite section too! But, I'm glad you've enjoyed this story so far since I have had some fun writing it! Hopefully it stays up to par with this update and future updates ^^

nadeshiko-yuna: Thank you for your review! I hope this update was okay! XD

oombala: Ah yes, looking back at the previous chapters I cringe to see those typos which I need to go fix XD Nevertheless, thank you for your review and also for your flattering comments! The thought that I may have inspired someone to write is pretty blush-worthy! XD But, I hope you have started to write again since updates in this section are always awesome!

TopazDragon: Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! I'm glad the characterizations are still passable and that the pairings or allusions to pairings don't appear to be just thrown together. I hope to stall my usual instinct to rush to the good parts and put in some credible fillers so as not to disrupt a realistic flow ^^; but we'll see I guess :) Hope you liked this update and thank you again for your review!

Henio41: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like it and I'm pretty happy that this story is different! I'm actually pretty psyched about that comment XD so thank you!

angelicmayuka: Ah yes, Wufei development! He's a challenging character for me really but I'm anxious for the opportunity to explore his depth within future updates. As for Makoto, the situation is pretty skeptical and I'm uber excited to hone in on those aspects soon. As for Usagi, I change my mind all the time with her but I've finally made a decision! Haha but it is true, when Mamoru is away, she does seem to lose sight a bit...Alas, thank you so much for your review! Hope this update was decent :)

Alycee Lanet: Thank you for your review! I'm back again and hopefully I'll stay longer. ^^;;

angelic aquarian: Thank you for your review! I'm glad the serious nature was able to read well since I often get nervous about trying to be serious XD As for pairings, I'm thinking there will be a lot of different interactions amongst the girls and the pilots that won't just be with the person I'm planning to "pair" them with. I don't want to give anything away just yet but Heero's chances with Minako are looking pretty bright...just saying ^^;;

Once again, Thank you so much for your reviews and also for taking the time to read this. It is much appreciated!

4Shame


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Monday came, the campus was flooded with haywire. Students rattled on about the mall heist and the large group of people that had managed to take down the robbers without any casualties. The only injury reported was none other than Umino who had received a broken nose after attempting to punch an overzealous stranger (whom Umino tried to claim was a robber in disguise) that had supposedly stood too closely to Naru. Despite the ugly bruising that appeared in the center of his face, he wore it proudly, placing a dignitary arm around a blushing Naru's waist.

Usagi jumped right into the horde of students, wanting as many details as she could fish out since she felt highly unfortunate for missing such an epic event. Minako, Makoto, Ami and Rei all got to witness the heist first hand and she wondered why it always seemed she was the last one to learn about these types of things. What did the heroes look like? She would ask. Did any of them try to claim they were Sailor Moon? Were they arrested? Did grown men really show up in mini-skirts and heels?

Most of the answers she received were yes with vivid descriptions on the attire of the "senshi", her face distorting as she imagined a hairy old man dressed in a Sailor Moon uniform with high-heeled red boots. What a disturbing image!

Eager to hear more, she pressed further into the masses, absorbing all she could. It turned out that the heroes wore masks too, though they were much prettier than the black ski masks the robbers sported. Due to the fact that security cameras throughout the mall were methodically wiped clean, assumedly by the criminals, the police had absolutely no way of discovering the identities of the group that had been named by newscasters as "Juuban's Resident Senshi Defenders", in short, J.R.S.D. When the mall was opened and people flooded out the doors, the police had no way of stopping everyone and inspecting each person to see if they were hiding a costume in their bags so it was quite amusing for some that on top of the original senshi investigation, another mystery was piled above it. Things were certainly looking a bit brighter for a particular team of five…

When arriving to school, Minako had only pretended to be interested in the talk about Friday. She smiled brightly to appear invested when in reality her mind was captivated by something, or rather, someone else. It wasn't necessarily a good thing, actually, it was quite the opposite. Her thoughts of him were never the greatest, but now…now she had uncomfortable churn in her stomach whenever she thought of him.

She had told him she was fine, feeling too shocked to actually stop and evaluate herself before answering. When she tried to move she winced, nearly letting a whimper escape as a pain shot straight through her leg. She cursed. She vaguely remembered feeling something uncomfortable whiz past it but she hoped it wasn't severe. Facing more astonishment, she looked for the first time to see her jeans had been sliced at her thigh, blood seeping through the fabric as some glass stuck sharply outward. She gulped in panic, now feeling the pain hit her like a freight train. The glass only made her mind intensify the pain as one of her hands shakily reached to gently try and remove the small pieces.

Before she could touch the glass, her hand was stopped by Heero's own as he seemed to float closer towards her with his critical gaze on her thigh. In the midst of where she lay with Heero directly in front of her, she almost forgot they were being held hostage, the robber ignoring them as he yelled at other hostages that were moving too quickly for his liking.

"Stay still," Heero had ordered leaning in as he carefully scanned the injury. Minako blushed, feeling his hair start to tickle her bangs in close contact. It had been a while since a member of the opposite sex had invaded her space and her heart knew it as it pounded raucously in her chest. Still, despite her urge to lean back, she stayed in place fearing that she might cause more bodily harm by making sudden movements.

Her eyes shot open when she felt his hand faintly caressing the inside of her thigh, her body threatening to tremble at the touch. She knew it held no sensual afterthought but she couldn't help herself as her well-guarded senses seemed to falter. She bit on her lip to stifle any sounds and cursed her body for tingling in an unfamiliar sensation. Then, as if to thoroughly distract her from his strangely warm touch, she felt the glass start to pull out. Her left hand jolted to grip his shoulder in reaction, his body frozen as she did so.

"It's almost out," he had said, her vision blurring as she felt the floor spin beneath her. She felt herself nod, reluctantly releasing his shoulder and hissing slightly when she felt him finish the job. A great exhale escaped her sore lungs, her head bobbing forward as the room started to disappear. She could hear commotion happening around her but the pain was too strong as it numbed most of her senses.

She inhaled a great amount of his scent, an alluring musk tickling her nose as she felt hoisted up carefully. She glanced downward, noticing a white wrap neatly covering her wound. Still able to stand, she limped with his help towards the exit as she hazily pondered how they could be leaving without some serious repercussions from the armed robbers but the question became obsolete as she heard the concerned voices of her parents. It appeared much more time had elapsed than she thought.

How she passed the paramedics without getting hauled into an ambulance was a mystery as she felt herself being led into the back of the new-scented car she knew belonged to her father. She fell into the seat and felt someone enter after her as a haze of voices careened in and out of her ears. If she didn't still have her sense of smell she would have never guessed who it was. She felt her head churn in distraught at moving too much, and she helplessly fell into him in his seat.

She frowned. It had been a long time since her independence had been challenged. Actually, she had sort of forgotten that she was so obsessive about being independent. She hated relying on others mostly because she believed it was her duty to be so self-sufficient that the only other option for those she knew was to rely on her. This alone probably played a vital role in her hazardous habit with the senshi. Well, who was she kidding, that was likely to be the _sole _reason she never liked to share her burdens with the group. It was just difficult. She started this cursed life alone and then later she learnt that there were others like her.

At first she was relieved. It was a breath of fresh air really to be able to confide in them and know that they understood her. However, there was something inside, some inhibition that failed to falter as she settled back into her original habits. When she was alone, it was essential that she be self-sufficient but when she found friends with a similar wrap, she felt she became a bit too reliant on them and let herself weaken because of it. So as a quiet mission she strove to step out of that reliance and back into her old self where she could do it alone.

She scoffed. These days over analyzing had become an annoying practice. She wasn't even sure how she reverted back to thinking about her bad habits. Oh, that's right, Heero. His actions were kind and she was grateful for it. But the idea that she needed to be saved when she thought she had acquired so much power and experience was unsettling. She never thought herself to be much of an egotistical person, if anything she'd probably say she was the exact opposite, but the realization of still being vulnerable when she had tried so hard to be reliable was not enriched with much consolation.

Her head hurt as her mental battle raged with vigor. She didn't like this feeling. So naturally, she was uncomfortable and indifferent about _him_.

Looking up from the pavement, she noticed Ami traveling a few meters ahead of her, a weak smile plastering on her face in relief. Perhaps the blue-haired genius could distract her since Minako was genuinely interested in hearing where she was exactly when the heist was initiated. As she unconsciously tried to speed up her pace, she winced, looking down at her stalled leg that held her from catching up to her friend. Her soul was immediately attacked by a wave of regret as her clear blue eyes fell onto the clumsy brace that left strange creases in her usually undisturbed pleated skirt. It seemed that forgetting about the slow-to-panic brunette and the way his scent wafted through her senses as she helplessly received help from him would be much harder than she anticipated.

* * *

Makoto cringed when hearing the sound of her fellow senior's voice, stalling reluctantly to allow the shorter girl to catch up. A few of the boys in school warned her that Risa was searching for her, a fact that was never pleasant to the ear. Risa, a school-spirited athlete, had always abrasively sought after Makoto to join sports teams and what not but Makoto would always refuse. However, refusals were never easy as the girl had made a ritual of chasing Makoto down until receiving exactly 1,000 refusals for the same request. It was a little funny, now that Makoto thought about it, but it still didn't make up for the begrudging truth that it was all together irritating.

"Good morning Risa," Makoto droned, dragging her feet in regret already.

"Good morning Mako-chan," the shorter girl huffed as her voice sounded rushed and busy. "Did you hear about the heist?" She asked.

Makoto nodded.

"I was there," she replied wryly.

"Really?" Risa scrunched skeptically, "I assumed you weren't since I expected you would have attacked upon realizing the mall was being held up."

Makoto stiffened, her back straightening in reconnaissance. "I don't fight outside of dire situations and Judo club," she quickly claimed only to earn a scoff.

"So that wasn't you fighting that group of men bullying Usagi when you first transferred here," Risa pointed out with hands on her hips.

"Uh," Makoto blinked in surprise that Risa had known about that.

"Or when you chased down the guy that had stolen that old lady's purse three weeks after you transferred here," she continued to point out, "Or that time three days afterwards when you punched a girl's lights out for spitting in a kid's ice cream for laughs."

Makoto was speechless, eerily feeling her eyebrow twitch as Risa seemed to have countless counters to Makoto's claim.

"Do…do you stalk me or something?" She queried.

Risa huffed.

"Not stalking," she replied, "Scouting."

Makoto scoffed, "Right," she stated before again resuming her walk, "Because there's a difference between the two." Risa hadn't heard her last comment.

"Anyways," she said. "You heard about J.R.S.D., right?"

"Yeah," Makoto replied with a nonchalant nod.

"Good. We're recruiting."

Makoto froze in mid-step, again finding herself staring skeptically back at Risa.

"You're responsible for that group?" Makoto mused loudly.

Risa nodded proudly with a grin, "Well, partly…"

"You don't even believe the senshi are real," Makoto stated with a raised brow. Risa scoffed.

"That's irrelevant," she said, brushing her hair from her shoulder. "Besides, the name was dubbed from the newscasters not us personally. But since we haven't had much luck naming ourselves, we've decided to just accept the publicly announced name."

"That still doesn't explain why you're in a group formed to protect the identities of the senshi when you yourself don't believe they even exist."

"Ah, you are always so sharp Mako-nee-chan!" Risa chimed proudly, Makoto sweat-dropping when reminded of how much Risa idolized her. "Though it's true I don't believe in that outrageous fantasy, I do believe in this cause! I helped form this group to fight every day crime to emphasize the fact that the police are abandoning their duties in this mindless chase after a group of girls that may or may not exist, which they don't!"

Makoto huffed, actually a bit impressed, as the cause behind this group seemed to be more rational than she had originally thought. Maybe she could join. After all, from Risa's explanation, J.R.S.D. would actually be doing the senshi a favor should they succeed in their mission. Her thoughts were quickly ended, as she felt a rough hand grip and pull at her elbow. A bit annoyed, she found herself looking into the shorter girl's determined brown eyes.

"You must join!" She stated in a precursor to a passionate speech, "Besides, now that criminals know we are here, they'll be expecting us. We'll no longer have the element of surprise under our belts so we need skilled fighters…," she drifted, "But beyond that, it is our responsibility to the public to remind the police of their duties and stop this nonsense!"

"And why exactly is this _our_ responsibility?" Makoto questioned, yanking her elbow back from Risa's hand.

The shorter girl frowned, "Because we are able!" She stated, Makoto still not quite following. "People with a great amount of strength should extend their abilities to those less equipped to face these types of things."

"Things?"

"Fights," Risa finished. "You're strong Mako-chan and I honestly believe there are probably only a handful of people that can beat you in hand-to-hand combat. Because you're that strong you should use your abilities for a higher cause, for something bigger than just yourself."

Makoto smiled faintly, the words somehow speaking to the story of her life. She agreed with Risa in that since she could fight so well she was obligated to use it for the benefit of others. However, Risa was wrong in assuming Makoto didn't already know this or even that Makoto hadn't already started to act on this principal.

"Mako-chan," Risa sincerely started, "I know you have instinct built in you already to help those that can't help themselves. Joining this cause is only natural. This is the type of thing you were made to do."

Makoto blinked sympathetically, realizing now what her answer was. J.R.S.D. was too high profile and she knew that if the police had decided to persecute this group, her case with the Gates family would somehow take a turn for the worse. With a delayed sigh, she made her mind.

"I'm sorry," she said blankly, "but I'm not interested."

Disappointment was evident in Risa's expression and Makoto did her best to ignore the guilt. Readjusting her grip on her book bag, she forced herself to walk away, settling uneasily in her path as she now found herself returning to the burden-filled aspect of the investigation that had uprooted a past event she wished had never happened. A crinkled card still lay resident in a pocket of her book bag, as her mind again coursed over the possible outcomes of the situation.

* * *

Rei sighed, looking pointedly to her right before quickly returning her gaze to the dishes in hand. Her grandfather had caught the flu, Rei choosing without hesitation to stay home and nurse him back to health instead of worrying about him while attending school. She would have happily busied herself with the left over chores but "the help" was rather distracting.

"You didn't have to stay," she muttered bitterly, unconsciously wringing the life out of a soaked cloth which she had intended on placing upon her poor grandfather's head.

Cobalt blue eyes glanced up innocently, or as close to innocent as he could get, and rushed to a look of responsibility.

"As Grandpa's apprentice, I'm obligated to remain with him whenever he falls ill," he patriotically announced.

"That's Hino-san to you," she spat coldly, shooting a death-threatening glare and moving for a bowl that was a little too high up to reach, "And just because you've been given an apprenticeship, it doesn't mean you can use my Grandfather's illness as an excuse to ditch school."

"Well aren't you doing the same thing?" She immediately stiffened when hearing his voice so close to her ear. All hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she saw his arm reach over her to the bowl on the top shelf. A lilac infused cotton musk wafted through her senses, her throat dry as she hesitated to take the bowl from him.

"Well?" He questioned with a raised brow, standing with his sheepish grin and boyish blue eyes. For the first time she noticed how much he towered over her, his shoulders being the point where the top of her head was level to.

"Well what?" She almost sounded flustered, looking away immediately as she went to the pot of soup.

"You're ditching because of your grandfather's illness, aren't you? So what makes me so different?"

She sneered, embarrassment rushing away as she was reminded of her distaste for him.

"He's my grandfather by blood," she reasoned, "It's my responsibility whereas you have no place in using him as an excuse."

She shot him a fiery look, the one that said without a doubt that if you try to argue with me again I'll cut off all your important ligaments, fry them and give them back to you in a paper bag as a reminder of why not to cross me, and so Duo had felt the need to leave it at that.

* * *

The Hikawa Shrine's old owner smirked from his position, the sound of his granddaughter's lectures and occasionally witty comebacks from their newest refugee amusing him in this boring recovery attempt. Duo was one of the few men brave enough, or dumb enough depending on who you asked, to try and argue with Rei. Though he always lost, he never stopped trying and grandpa was certain Rei did not like that. However, the boy was a breath of fresh air in the shrine plus he reminded Grandpa a lot of himself. So, since he was aging and losing his old footing, he thought it might be nice to have a younger version of himself around to balance Rei's extremely stoic and often cold nature.

His ears perked when he heard the door slide open, a fuming Rei attempting to sooth her ego as she carefully took a few deep breaths and seated herself by him.

"You should try to be nicer to him," Grandpa said.

"Tch, he doesn't need compassion, grandpa," Rei scowled, "He needs forced reformation."

She lightened up when she heard his aged laugh rift through the room, her heart melting by the sound alone. It pained her to hear the ailment in his voice, even the age that sounded had scared her, a small frown slowly pervading her briefly calm state.

Silently, she collected his dishes, taking the cloth from his head and wringing it out over a bowl before dipping it into a newly boiled pot of warm water and placing it back in its position. She started to dry her hands, caught by surprise when she felt wrinkled old hands weakly holding onto her own cream, un-spotted hands. At that moment she felt spite for herself, uncomfortable by the fact that she was so young and strong while her grandfather aged and slowly withered away. He wasn't as fast as he used to be, not as agile and so many other things that had slowed with age. She wished there were a way to stop it, but knew better than to hope in things that could so easily lead to a darker path.

"Grandpa?" She quizzically stated with concern. She only grew more confused when he smiled back towards her.

"It's so nice to have you home like this," he started, "It seems like we haven't just sat and talked for a while, hasn't it?"

She nodded in agreement, trying to think back on a recent time they had just talked but failing at her attempt. It was true that she spent much of her time at the temple doing chores and helping her grandfather with his duties but it wasn't always the case that they got to spend time with each other.

"How have you been?"

Rei could feel tears pressing against her eyes. All her pent up anxieties and nightmares had come swarming to mind as soon as he asked. She had been horrible, her mind was in disarray, her aura was completely strained, and with each day she feared for the worse but would never tell anyone. But with her grandfather, someone she trusted dearly and loved, it was hard not to confide in him. It was just the same when senshi business was booming and she hardly ever had time to settle. She would always want to tell him about it, hint that she was not normal and that those times where she had said she was going to study were actually fights where she might not return just so he wouldn't be caught by surprise should she suddenly disappear. It was a terrible secret to keep but she knew it had to be done.

"Fine," she replied simply, diverting her gaze from his eyes as she gulped.

"That's good to hear," her grandpa stated fondly. "Any boyfriends?"

Rei scoffed, as she mentally praised her grandfather's ability to make her smile despite her distressed nature.

"No," she answered. "Why would I torture myself with things like that? I'm not one for self-inflicted pain."

He laughed, squeezing her hand affectionately. His throat suddenly pulsed with a raked guttural that elicited a fit of coughs, amethyst eyes immediately widening with desperate concern as she hovered carefully beside him.

"Grandpa, are you—"

"Don't worry, don't worry," he coaxed, "I was just hacking up some impure demons," he smiled.

Unconvinced, but slightly calmed, Rei knelt back into her position and nodded. She would try not to make him laugh anymore and maybe he wouldn't provoke such a disparaging rage of coughs.

"How is school?" He asked. "I get a lot of rumors that the police are distracting students with their crazy search for these magical young ladies that fight evil. So many theories and yet such little proof has come with regards to their existence."

Rei sighed, resigning to a look of discontent as she replied: "School is almost pointless with all that ruckus constantly flying around. Hardly anyone can sit and learn about factual based things anymore. They'd rather hear about these mythical _creatures._"

Grandpa laughed, "Creatures?" He repeated. "I take it you don't have a very fond perception of them, huh?"

Hardened and frowning, Rei shrugged.

"It just doesn't seem that the public has a very realistic view of the senshi at all. To them it's all butterflies and rainbows. They think the senshi are magical beings not actual people." She cringed, contemplating whether or not she might have gone too far in her personal explanation.

"Ah, Rei, always such a realist," her grandpa praised, looking at her with almost tearful eyes.

She scrunched her eyebrows a bit in skepticism, wondering why of all times he was being serious and suspecting the worse.

"Are you…" she paused, unable to fathom why he'd appear so sympathetic when that was hardly in his nature. He was a cheerful man, one who often acted recklessly and sometimes resembled Usagi far too much for her liking, not this fragile old man who tears up when realizing his granddaughter is not as blind to devastation as he might like to think.

Angrily, she shot up from her knees, tears threatening to run.

"Have you contracted some type of severe illness?" She heatedly questioned. "A disease?"

Her grandfather's eyes widened with surprise before he chuckled at the seriousness. He must've realized how out of character he had been because he started to slap his knee in pure amusement as if a parade of clowns had just put on a show right in front of him.

"You know Rei, sometimes you are just too serious!" He laughed. "I promise this is just the flu."

She frowned in disbelief, huffing indignantly before grabbing the dishes and heading towards the exit.

"What?" Her grandfather asked behind her. "No more talking?"

"Go to sleep," she ordered coldly, "I don't want to have to nurture you back to health tomorrow too. We're beating this thing out of you by tonight."

He sighed, lying back sorely as he stared at the ceiling. When Rei made a demand, it was pointless trying to refute it. However, before she left, she felt herself stop as her grandfather's aged old voice found its way to her ears.

"Rainbows and butterflies huh?" He had said. "I guess you're right. These people think the senshi are a naïve group of girls who prance around trying to save the world. But if they really do exist, I'm sure they've had to endure more than we give them credit for. Evil doesn't go away when you ask it to, it has to be consistently rivaled and sometimes killed."

He paused.

"I feel sorry for those girls, if they are real. What an enormous burden they must bear on their own. I hope their motive for their work is worth the risk."

Rei winced, her knuckles pale as she gripped the tray until it nearly threatened to break.

"So do I," she whispered, shaking her head in reprimand as she shook off her contemplative thoughts.

"Tch," she scoffed. "Stop worrying about a bunch of fictional characters and worry about yourself. Contemplating their burdens is no cure for your ailment."

With that she stepped out, sliding the door shut to leave her grandfather in his bed.

"A realist would flat out deny such a group existed," he frowned, his heart suddenly growing weary as he thought of his granddaughter. "I had never expected that you believed in such fictional characters."

* * *

Ami jumped twice, first when Mr. Chang appeared and second when Risa popped up. She was unfamiliar with both on a personal level but strangely they paralleled each other as they seemed to emanate the same feeling of reluctance when approaching her as though it was something neither of them wanted to do but were somehow forced to do.

"Uh, hi," Ami greeted awkwardly, stopping in her tracks as they blocked the sidewalk.

She imagined they would have stayed like that for some time, staring at each other strangely as someone tried to think of the best way to continue this situation, had it not been for Usagi's timely arrival with Trowa at her side.

"Ami-chan!" She cheered happily, slinging her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Making new friends today?"

She looked to Risa who scowled and found surprise when spotting Wufei beside her. It was an odd group of people, really. First off, Risa was an athlete and not much of a fan of scholars and secondly, last time Usagi saw Ami and Wufei together he had called her a weakling. Hence, he wasn't a very friendly guy. So why in the world were these two people huddling around sweet old Ami? Were they going to jump her?

As if suddenly alarmed, Usagi selflessly threw herself between the odd pair and Ami as if to protect her from any surprise attacks.

Baffled, Ami blinked in slight amusement while the other two shook their heads in disbelief.

"What're you doing blondie?" Risa crooned.

"Protecting my friend!" She stated patriotically. "There's only one reason people like you would be circling someone so sweet and innocent! And I won't allow it!"

"And exactly what reason do you think that is?" Risa asked harshly, taking initiative in this conversation as opposed to the Chinese student next to her.

"You both intend to take advantage of her."

Surprisingly, she was actually right, though none of those that were conscientious of this would openly admit it to her.

Usagi flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, her head turning to look directly at a smiling blue-haired genius.

"Usagi-chan," she said. "It's fine. I'm sure they just want to talk."

"But Ami, these guys?" She said pointing at them.

Ami laughed. It was a shocking a pair to her too but she doubted they intended to harm her in any way.

Ami nodded.

With a sigh, Usagi shrugged.

"Well alright then," she said, looking to Trowa who quietly observed from the wayside. "I guess I'll just walk home with Trowa. I would wait for you Ami but my mom wants me home a.s.a.p."

"Okay," Ami replied. "Maybe I'll see you later at the shrine? I heard Rei's Grandfather came up ill this morning. Makoto and I were planning on taking him some chicken soup."

"Ah, really?" She squealed with a hand to her forehead. "How do all these things happen without me knowing about it? First the mall heist, then the old man gets sick, okay! Call me before you guys leave, I'll bring some crackers!"

"Will do," Ami smiled, waving goodbye as Usagi and Trowa disappeared from sight.

Patiently, it seemed, Risa and Wufei waited for her attention. Risa, who was often brash and to the point, wasted no time once Ami was looking.

"Alright, Einstein," she nicknamed. "Let's get down to business. J.R.S.D. needs brains like you so what do you say?"

Wufei raised an eyebrow with a scoff as Ami was uncertain of how to react.

"You mean Juuban's Resident Senshi Defenders?" Ami asked.

"_You_ are responsible for that embarrassing group?" Wufei had asked.

"Yes and partly," she said looking to Ami first then to Wufei. "But you can keep your nose out of it, new kid, I never asked for your two cents."

Wufei scoffed, scorning the fact that he'd be joined with a founder of that problematic group of vigilantes and slightly more understanding of how such a group could be formed knowing that a woman had been responsible.

"You do know that police will be looking for you, don't you?" Wufei sneered. "You shouldn't be flaunting yourself around as a founder unless you want to end up in jail."

Risa growled, balling a fist and glaring at Wufei.

"Like I said, new kid, I never asked you so get lost! If the police find out about me I'll be sure to pay you a nice visit!"

"Risa," Ami stepped in shortly. "Mr. Chang is right. The police are most likely looking to abolish this group as soon as possible. It serves as nothing but a deterrent to their current investigation."

"Finally a woman with sense," Wufei murmured.

Risa scoffed.

"I know that Einstein," she replied. "But as of now they have no real proof to pin me to the group and that's because we've set up a secure system that the police absolutely cannot hack. However, recently our lead computer wiz got scared away. We need a replacement quick!"

Ami frowned, clearly not convinced that this would be in her best interest. It was true that J.R.S.D. had in a way helped the senshi from being exposed but involvement in such a group would bring her nothing but trouble.

"I'm sorry," she stated firmly. "But I can't."

"Why?" Risa abrasively retaliated. "You and Mako-nee-chan make some pact or something? You two both act like you're too busy to help out your own community!"

Ami winced. So she asked Makoto too? She shouldn't have been surprised since Risa had always idolized her. But the fact that Risa would turn to Makoto and Ami who both ran in the same crowd was a bit unnerving. Do you think the police could put together a connection amongst them like Risa had?

"Tch," Risa groaned. "Mako-chan may be your friend, but it's clear you both have absolutely nothing in common."

Ami flinched, concern riding her conscience by that statement. Were they really so obvious? Could their odd combination of friends be so painfully noticeable? Makoto was physically strong. Ami was academically sound. And these two people who were far different from each other were loyal friends with seemingly little similarities.

And what is it that made these two girls from different spectrums of life come together? That question alone could lead to their unveiling. All that had to happen was for the police to realize it and then they would see that the only reason they were friends was because they shared the same life mission. She gulped, not realizing that Risa had furiously marched off to leave her with Wufei. A cold sweat had broken out and suddenly she felt the need to sit down.

"You alright?" Wufei frigidly asked.

"I'm fine," Ami answered. "Was there…something you needed?"

He frowned, giving a lax shrug while he kept his guarded eyes on her. She reacted strangely to what that Risa girl had to say, but why?

"It can wait," he said. "Let me walk you home."

Ami nodded, half her mind consumed elsewhere as the other half bore no concern about the fact that it was a bit perplexing that he would offer himself in such a way. He hardly knew her and every time she spoke to him, he was quick to leave on a less than friendly term. It was a mystery why he'd pop up out of the blue and basically demand that he'd walk her home. Still, she couldn't think straight and it was then she decided that if the senshi didn't act fast enough, the police would be swarming all over them. Passive tactics would not work. This time they needed a plan.

* * *

The walk was quiet for the most part. As they went along the sidewalk, Usagi would sometimes whistle a tune as Trowa just continued with hands in his pockets. It was a nice stroll and Trowa somewhat scoffed at the comfortable nature of it all. It was as if he and Usagi had always been friends.

"So," Trowa queried, "Rei is the one that goes to an all-girls private school?"

Usagi was slightly surprised that he'd ask such a random question, but she answered nonetheless.

"Uh-huh," she affirmed without a second thought.

"And her grandfather is sick…"

"Seems so," Usagi chimed.

"That's nice that you and your friends would go out of your way to take soup and crackers to him," he commented quietly.

"Nah!" Was Usagi's loud response, as she walked with her hands clasped to her book bag behind her head. "It's natural to want to help someone when they need it. Besides, grandpa puts up with us a lot and always lets us come over and hang out whenever we want to. We kind of owe it to him."

"I see," was Trowa's meditative response.

"Mmhmm," Usagi smiled. "Besides, wouldn't you do that if one of your friend's parents were sick?" She asked.

He scoffed.

"Not necessarily," he replied.

"Why?" She seemed genuinely confused, a small frown turning at Trowa's lips as he caught a glimpse of her naïve innocence. There could be no way that such a person was involved in living two lives. He just wouldn't believe it.

Actually, she reminded him of something Heero had once said about a happy life being a life lived by your emotions. He imagined that's what Usagi had unconsciously adhered to, a life led by her emotions. She was so easy to read and so willingly compassionate towards others it was almost contagious.

"Maybe it's because it doesn't really benefit me to be that kind of person," he reasoned. "Or maybe I'm just not a nice person."

"Oh," was her simple response. She frowned for a moment, then sighed. Then afterwards she sighed and frowned, a contemplative look crossing her features while she tried to sort through her thoughts.

"Sometimes I'm not that nice." She said, catching him by surprise.

"I find that hard to believe."

She smiled weakly.

"It's true. Sometimes in the morning I purposely stay in the bathroom longer than I need to just to get on Shingo's nerves. I'll just sit on the bathtub and wait for him to start pounding on the door screaming just so I can yell at him to wait."

Trowa was shocked that he could laugh so heartily.

"You surprise me, Tsukino-san," he said, "That is pretty malicious."

She smiled brightly, her blue eyes large with sincerity that nearly staked him at the heart.

"Maybe you are a nice guy, Trowa," she started. "I mean, people tell me all the time I'm so nice so I easily forget how mean I can be too. So maybe you've forgotten like I have, how nice you really are."

She gave a brief smile, disappearing from the sidewalk to run up the pathway to the front door of her house.

Trowa scoffed, realizing a part of him that he had neglected for some time. She was a sweet girl and it amazed him that she could be so profound when she was mostly wailing like a crybaby and falling like she had no sense of balance. What amazed him most, is that he actually started to consider that perhaps he really was a nice person.

* * *

Thank you for reading! It is much appreciated! And of course, thank you for the reviews! I kind of really like this chapter and hope that others have to. The only gripe I have with it so far is that there was no mention of Quatre and hardly any of Wufei. Still I will work on that one! As always, comments and concerns are graciously welcomed!

Moon Mage Goddess: Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you like it and I'm flattered even that you think its refreshing! Thank you so much! I hope it continues to impress! ^^

LadyJ of Moonshallow: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like it and hope it continues to be enjoyable!

TopazDragon: Thank you for your review! You are so very encouraging and I am so grateful for your thoughts and input! They really did help me with this past update ^^ I'm glad you found it funny. I'm always rather reluctant to attempt humor because I'm afraid it won't translate properly lol. Nevertheless, thank you so much for reading and commenting! It is very much appreciated! I hope this chapter is enjoyable!

Varee: Thank you for your review! Lol I think this time it took me about 4 months to update? So I've improved in that sense! lol Hopefully I can keep getting better ^^; Also, thank you so much for the advice. I've started to write out the scenes that I'm excited about and they really do help to make it clearer what little things I want to happen beforehand. Hence, your suggestion has saved me from immense writer's block! And good job on your exam! I know I'm really late on that one but still, good job! But, somehow this story has changed in pairings. Originally I had a different idea but now it has evolved to the obvious groupings ^^; I guess that's how things roll sometimes. Aside from that, thank you for your input. I am a bit nervous about future reviews that might be trollish or possibly spiteful so hopefully this chapter was decent? Nevertheless, I will anxiously prepare myself for that ^^;. Thank you again for your suggestions and comments they have really been helpful!

angelic aquarian: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you found Heero's observatory skills interesting. I also think it's fascinating how people can pick up so much just by looking at their surroundings! Also, I hate to disappoint people, so sorry about the Minako/Trowa potential not panning out. Its a relief to hear though that I haven't casted two pairings that you dislike ^^. Again, thank you so much for your review! And I hope this chapter is enjoyable!

**4Shame**


	7. Chapter 7

"Grandpa?" Rei called, looking pointedly in each room that loomed with too much darkness than she liked.

She frowned, ruffling her bangs in the process as she released a pent up sigh. She decided it'd be best not to get herself worked up about not being able to find him so she dismissed herself to the porch where she swept with a churning in her stomach. The birds were hardly audible. Their tweets and chirps softly swayed with the wind, leaves annoyingly making their way to the wooden floorboards that were recently made bare.

Rei groaned, backtracking to re-sweep, while still adamantly trying to sooth her nerves. Like a nervous wreck, her hands shook, trembling so much that she almost let the broom slip from her fingers. With a thumping heart, she felt sick but stubbornly persisted as if nothing was wrong.

For a while, she swept, keeping her eyes to the unwanted debris on the floor and watching as she pushed the dirt aside just for more leaves and particles to invite themselves in the open space. Her frustration rose, the force behind her broom increasing as she abrasively swept off the trash. To her dismay, the wind had matched her force with plenty more gusto to spare. Her hair whipped around her freely, dirt and trash flying to litter the floor she had tried to sweep clean.

Still, stubborn and unwilling to quit, Rei continued sweeping. Her bones shivered from the cold, her fingers numbing from her tight grip on the broom. Even her hair had turned on her, lashing out like a million whips against her fair skin as she kept her eyes and mind on the task at hand. She knew it was pointless trying to battle a storm with her broomstick but somehow she couldn't pull herself to quit, her eyes beginning to redden with exhaustion as her heart thumped even louder in her ears. Clouds barreled in overhead but she kept at it, ignoring all logic for the sake of sweeping the porch clean.

Somehow, tears had started to leak. Rei's body trembled as she felt herself stall in movement. She hung her head low, feeling overwhelmed by the storm and her seemingly futile attempts of fulfilling her simplest chore. Disappointed in herself, she forced her hands to her face, hastily wiping away the tears and hazily looking up to watch the wind as it tore through the leaves and challenged the thick roots of the trees. Lightening flashed in the distance, the sound of thunder echoing seconds afterwards.

The discomfort bridling in her soul only worsened; her heart heavy as her anxieties reached new peaks. She felt her ears perk at the sound of a door sliding open, her eyes following the noise to find the entranceway ajar. Light filled the opening, Rei curiously walking towards it with skepticism.

"Grandpa?" She said, feeling her skin crawl as if to tell her she should just stay outside.

Ignoring her sixth sense, she walked in, placing a hand on the door and closing it behind her to keep the storm out. The empty hall confused her, eyes searching for her grandfather as she cautiously proceeded further.

"Grandpa," she called out again, feeling her irritation beginning to surface. "This is no time for games!" She yelled.

She had hoped he would pop out with a pout so she could scold him for being so childish. She had even hoped he would stay hidden and taunt her with some type of joke! However, the silence loomed in heavily, the air growing stiffer as her fears ran circles around her.

"Stop being such a child," she breathed in an attempt to sound angry but the concern riddling her features rang clearly in her voice as she neared his room where shadows danced across the floor beneath the door.

Her body screamed for her to walk away and ignore the scene, but her hand reached out before she could stop herself.

The room was pitch black, but the aura it bore was menacing. She gulped down tension in her throat and shakily stepped in. Her senses seemed to numb, the room around her growing darker as she searched for her grandfather. From memory she knew where his bed was and cautiously walked towards it and took a knee.

Carefully she extended an arm, feeling nothing. She forced herself to take a deep breath, settling her instinct to think the worse as she meditatively tried to envision a flame. Steadily, a small lick of fire rippled into her hand, her body soaking in the warmth as she focused on keeping it alit. Small manifestations of power were possible these days and she equated that this was due to the fact that their power was growing and their present souls were slowly beginning to meld with their previous lives' experiences.

Nearly forgetting why she was there to begin with, she found herself pulling back to her senses once she noticed the empty bed that should've held her grandfather. The mattress was warm and instinctually her eyes darted around the room to find him.

Immediately, her body froze, hands trembling as the single flame was extinguished without notice.

…

Rei jolted from her sleep, breathing heavily as she felt uncontrolled whimpers escape her stubborn lips. She was hunched over uncomfortably, a hand covering her face as she tried to remind herself it was only a dream. Still, she felt the tears rolling, her body shaking with scared sobs in the moonlight.

The dreams were getting worse and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was in a safe place, she could never succeed. Where ever she turned she felt like eyes were on her, the words of the investigators echoing in her ears.

_"Minako Aino is undoubtedly a key member of the senshi. In cases like these, there is no such thing as coincidence."_

_ "That may be true. But this girl has evaded the Britain task forces and gone unnoticed for years now. What makes you think anyone will find anything on her now?"_

_ "There're more people involved. In England she was alone. Here, it seems she's got company."_

_ "Who have also evaded a public unveiling."_

_ "You're too closed minded! This time we're gonna find Sailor V, Sailor Moon and whoever else might be involved."_

_ "And why is that?"_

"_Because we have the perfect bait."_

The way she sounded when mentioning bait haunted Rei more than she had expected. What could she have possibly meant? Could they really have something that could actually lure the senshi out? Her mind hurt from trying to consider it, her body fatigue from lack of sleep. Fire readings were fruitless and though the odds of being discovered were slowly beginning to dwindle, she still felt that perhaps things were falling apart for the police a little too easily. They seemed so confident when she heard them and it was hard to believe that their confidence was just a verbal indication of their ignorance.

They had something on them, some proof or plan that would draw them out and she felt helpless in apprehending what it might be.

* * *

Duo sighed. He sat quietly outside Rei's room with an arm propped up on one knee and his back against a wall. He was first roused awake nearly an hour ago when hearing a sharp gasp and some murmuring afterwards. Being an opportunist, he suspected someone was sneaking around the temple only to find that the noises were coming from Rei's bedroom. Originally he thought she was with someone and lethargically hoped this was the breakthrough the pilots were looking for. But instead, he realized it was nothing more than nightmares plaguing her sleep and his excitement soon turned to disappointment and steadily down to sympathy.

Her whimpers muffled their way through the paper-thin door and into his ears, a stern expression crossing his features making him nearly unrecognizable. He never did like to hear people suffer and it hurt a bit to witness that someone he perceived as strong-willed and solid was only pretending to have little troubles outside of mediocre chores and an overzealous grandfather.

Why, hearing this, Rei almost seemed…human. He shook the thought from his mind, running a hand through his loose hair as he picked himself up from the ground. Nothing good would come from sympathizing with the "enemy" and so he walked away from her bedroom and back into his own.

* * *

Usagi yawned as she walked, stretching her arms up before placing them behind her head. Today was pretty monumental being that she was actually up early and making good time in her journey to school. She only wished she had more company.

Sprinting like a maniac nearly every morning made her route seem so much shorter and she contemplated whether or not she should run just for kicks since this walk was beginning to become quite a tiring hike. Another yawn then reminded her of her fatigue and as it cleared a bit of her brain, she remembered that she hated any form of unnecessary exercise so running when she didn't have to, was immediately ruled out. She huffed. Sometimes life was just so hard!

Looking ahead she caught sight of an unruly haired boy that Minako had admitted to having mixed feelings about. When she would ask why, Minako was never quite capable of explaining it clear enough.

_"Well, he's nice. I guess." _She had said. _"But I can't see him as anything more than a friend…actually I can't see him as anything more than a history partner."_

_"Oh com'on!" _Usagi prodded. "_He's gotta be more than that! I mean he practically saved you at the mall! Tell me again what he did!"_

Minako sighed, shaking her head with a small laugh. _"I've told you so many times I'm pretty sure you remember it better than I do."_

Ultimately every time they talked about it, Usagi would beg and plead that Minako ask him out on a date. However, Minako for some reason just would not budge! So perhaps she needed a little push… With a smug grin and a bit of newfound motivation, she willed herself to speed up as she called out after him.

"Heero!"

He turned without hesitation, his stoic stare casting a surprisingly handsome viewpoint of his features as his chocolate mane swayed to frame the smooth contours of his cream face. Her heart leapt with excitement and suddenly a picture of his stone-cold mannerisms melting away by Minako's glowing bright visage convinced her that the fact these two weren't already madly in love was an absolute tragedy!

She caught her breath quickly, smiling appreciatively back at him for waiting.

"Tsukino-san," he nodded in greeting.

She waved her hand.

"Geez, you and Trowa are so formal! It's Usagi!" She exclaimed.

"Hmm," she heard him hum hesitantly as they kept walking. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her link arms with him and immediately he wished he had ignored her call earlier. She was much too friendly and blind to body language. When he clearly emanated the aura that he did not want to be touched, she blatantly ignored it and did exactly as any conscientious person would not. She clung to him like she had known him since birth and he was somewhat bothered that she seemed comfortable when he was the exact opposite. Of course telling her to get off wasn't exactly beneath him, but when he looked to those over-zealous blue eyes and the gleam that echoed from her golden pigtailed hair to her soft skin, he felt that it would be as though he were bullying a child. So for now, he supposed she could stay.

"I heard what you did for Minako-chan," she stated happily.

"What exactly did I do for Minako?" He asked, somewhat confused.

"Oh, don't be modest!" Usagi chided. "You saved her life!"

Heero scoffed. "When was that?"

"Last Friday night!" Usagi reminded. "At the mall…"

He quickly jogged his memories, mentally sighing in realization when he remembered the incident. "Oh," he stoically stated, never faltering in his expression as he numbly walked to school. For such a petite girl, she sure had a tight grip, he noted.

"She told me she was scared out of her mind when the mall was taken under siege," Usagi chimed.

"Really," Heero replied unconvinced. His cold eyes trained forward. "She didn't really _look_ scared…it was more like surprised…"

Usagi fumbled for words, caught by surprise that Heero would make such an astute observation. "Oh, well, Minako-chan is a great actor! And I tell you she was scared senseless!"

"Actor, huh?" Heero seemed to key in on that alone. "So you know her well?"

"Absolutely!" She cheered with pride. "And I can tell you everything you need to know to win her over!"

Her last statement didn't sit well with him and it showed when he stopped and stared hard into her restlessly innocent blue eyes.

"Win her over?" He knew he shouldn't have asked but the words slipped out before he could think them over. Trowa mentioned Usagi was surprisingly easy to talk to but he underestimated that information immensely. She was just so sweet and untainted that he could see nothing but a harmless child.

"It's obvious you like her!" Usagi exclaimed, slamming into his side with excitement as she dragged him along with her down the sidewalk.

"It is." He murmured awkwardly, the sun shining strangely on the both of them as he let out a sigh. This type of situation was far too _regular_ for him to bare. He would much rather be thrust into a suicidal mission than have to deal with someone so far from the despairing influences of war. To him, suicidal missions were just…easier to handle.

"Yup," she answered with a nod.

"And how is that?"

"Well, you saved her! Obviously you must care a lot for her well-being if you sacrificed your life for her sake," Usagi reasoned.

"It wasn't necessarily like that…" Heero tried to say.

"Oh, Heero, denial is no way to live," she lectured. "Especially when it comes to love!"

He scoffed. Well, no use arguing with this one, he thought. It was pretty clear that once she created a world, it was damn near impossible to convince her that things weren't exactly as she imagined they were.

"Now, you must act fast! There are hundreds of guys knocking on Minako's door, asking her for dates so if you want to sweep her off her feet you gotta beat 'em to the punch!" She advised.

He frowned.

"If there are so many people knocking on her door then why doesn't she go out with them?" He asked, half because it might be useful and half because he suspected Usagi may have been fabricating a few more things than she'd be willing to admit.

Usagi was somewhat flabbergasted, sighing as a result.

"Alright, so maybe she doesn't have hundreds of guys pounding on her door. That's just cause they are intimidated by her beauty," she recovered. "Don't let her beauty intimidate you too!"

"Hn," he grunted indifferently, sighting the school and hoping that once they arrived she'd be distracted by other friends that were actually trying to vie for her attention. He had already given up on trying to juice her for information, or rather, _useful_ information about Minako after sensing she had a motive of her own which she didn't do a good job hiding.

"So will you do it?" She asked with hope-filled eyes and a smile.

He frowned, shrugging his arm from her and grunting a response.

"Do what?" He asked. He had tuned her voice out for some time and as they stood on the front steps of the school he was surprised to have covered ground so quickly without him paying attention.

"Ask Minako out on a date," she filled in.

For a moment he considered the request, his insides churning in discomfort that he was being so nice. She was just so harmless that it made him feel guilty to act cruelly. She differed drastically from Minako. Where Usagi's blue eyes were pristine and clear, Minako's were amiable and guarded. And while Usagi's hair shined softly like a halo in sweet pigtails, Minako's was lustrous and golden, a tempting mane that lured viewers in on false pretenses of being naïve. Usagi was sweet. And Minako was currently the prime suspect in an open-ended investigation that he half believed was fake. With a disgruntled scoff and unconvinced Prussian blue eyes he made up his mind.

"No." He stated flatly, walking off towards his class without her and feeling at ease as he again recognized his normal self. Heero was not here to make friends. He was here to complete his mission.

"Ami, I don't mean to be authenticated but I don't think we should do anything," Minako whispered. Ami was never one for confrontation but lately she had been rather insistent that the girls consider an active role in their current situation instead of sitting back and rolling with the punches. They all would have gotten together and discussed it but a meeting wasn't exactly easy to schedule at the moment. Their usual place at the temple was temporarily out of service as Rei indicated she was purifying the place to rid the disease and infection that may be affecting her grandfather but honestly Minako suspected that she didn't want to house a meeting there due to the fact that Duo had still been yapping her ear off about how much he adored Usagi. Having the blonde there at the same time as him was not an idea Rei liked to entertain, or so Minako liked to think. Aside from that, Makoto hadn't really been seen too often which they all assumed had to do with her job. Usagi was actually preoccupied with her History project that Trowa insisted she work diligently on and well, Minako sort of had the same problem with Heero. However, though Ami was always consumed with her scholastic endeavors, she was always the best at time management and quite frankly, she did not want to let her observations on this current issue get pushed to the wayside.

"Firstly, Minako, I believe you meant to say authoritative," Ami pointed out, pulling her lunch from her book bag.

"Didn't I say that?" Minako inquired, not really concerned whether it was true or not.

"No," Ami answered, "you said authenticated."

Minako huffed. "There's a difference?" She took a bite of her sandwich, sighing in satisfaction as she heard the crunch of lettuce between her gnashing teeth.

"Yes," Ami responded with a slight shake of her head. "But that's not important. I'm still not quite convinced that being passive about this situation will help us. There are too many coincidences between us and if the—," she paused when a group of students passed, unconsciously moving closer as she lowered her voice and waited until their peers were out of hearing range. "If the _you-know-who _observe us long enough, they're bound to notice the unnatural bond between us all."

Minako frowned, looking to Ami then back to her sandwich. Unnatural bond? She sort of understood what Ami meant but she couldn't help but think that perhaps Ami was being a bit too paranoid. Normally Ami was the calm, collected one but today she was starting to sound a smidge opposite of calm and collected.

"Okay," Minako started. "Say we do take an active role. Do you actually have a full proof plan that would undoubtedly force the _you-know-who_ to get off our case?"

This time, it was Ami's turn to frown. She looked away in near shame, Minako feeling a bit guilty for bringing up the question despite the fact that she knew Ami hadn't figured something out quite yet. Still, she thought it was a valid question. She knew her friend meant well but this talk about scheming some way out of this investigation didn't sit well with her. After all, despite her unsettling encounter with a cop in her home, things were fairly…comfortable. Plus, J.R.S.D. raised hell for the task force assigned to the senshi case, it was something that her father commended frequently at home. Hence, with the scale steadily tipping in their favor, she thought that a plan of action might actually do more harm than good.

Ami looked like she was about to respond but she quickly cut herself off when a tall shadow cast itself across their laps.

"Good afternoon ladies!"

"Good afternoon," Ami greeted back, Minako peeking up to find the cheery American boy that so effortlessly annoyed her raven-haired friend.

"Duo!" Minako smiled. "It's good to see you back in school," she commented.

"Yeah," Duo started, scratching his head, "I would say that it's great to be back but this place isn't really my kind of scene. I am, however, encouraged by the fact that I get to see all you beautiful babes," he winked.

Minako laughed, especially when noticing Ami scoff to her side. The blue-haired genius was rather accustomed to his flirtatious ways and she was quite surprised by how quickly she was able to adapt to him. Nevertheless, he was an easy going guy and extremely easy to get along with unless of course your name was Rei.

"How's grandpa?" She asked as he took a seat in between them.

"The old man's doing great," Duo answered, dragging a candy bar from a tight pocket. "Rei sure knows her medicinal herbs."

"Yes," Ami chimed in proudly, "She's quite gifted with ancient healing techniques and natural remedies. I've learned a lot from her already and have often tried to convince her that a person with her knowledge could do amazing research in the medical field after high school."

Minako laughed, taking a bite of her food. "Yeah but then she'd have to be in competition with you Ami, and none of us want to put ourselves in that type of situation when it comes to academics."

"I suppose," Ami dejectedly replied, brushing her bangs to the side before noticing a strange scene inside the windowed foyer of the administration office. She often criticized the architectural layout of the office, believing it had too many transparencies that could broadcast student's private matters to the whole student body without trying. However, today, she thought that perhaps privacy was overrated and her critical gaze couldn't help but sink itself into the abrasive Risa who seemed to be arguing with a suited investigator who hurriedly motioned her into the office away from windows.

"Strange," Ami commented to herself, her eyes still trained on the spot once occupied by the odd pair.

"What's strange?" Duo and Minako question in unison, catching Ami by surprise.

"Nothing," she lied.

Not that the other two were really listening. Minako and Duo made rapid fire conversations, never stopping too long to notice the environment around them as they amusedly coursed through various topics of discussion. Ami hardly had to give a reason to leave as she grabbed her bag and said her adieus. The two waved politely with a goodbye before engaging in the interesting discussion of which conditioner they used and how climate changes sometimes meant they'd have to alter their shampoo routine. It was boring conversation, by Ami's standards, but she was eased by the fact that Minako was able to branch out and find a friend outside of their circle of five. Apart from Usagi, none of them really interacted with others that didn't share their responsibilities and Ami was beginning to think that small fact might condemn them if they weren't careful.

In seconds, Ami found herself by the administration office, her mind racing with ways she could get into ear range of the conversation going on between Risa and the investigator. Bowing respectfully at the entrance, the office clerks greeted her fondly, never suspecting anything bad from Juuban's resident genius. After scanning the office for some place she could inconspicuously camp herself, she found herself walking to the teacher's mail slots against the wall, her back to the office administrators as she grabbed the mail from her English teacher's cubby. As her teacher's aide, her actions went unquestioned while she nervously pretended to skim through the letters and fliers.

She could faintly pick up their conversation through the door that stood a few meters from the mail slots but she still wasn't close enough to pick up their discussion clearly. However, from the brief moments of influx in their voices, she could tell they were arguing about something.

She cursed. If only she were a spy then perhaps she'd be better at eavesdropping and not have to suffer through the anxiety she was feeling at this moment where her eyes were constantly glancing over her shoulders to see if anyone had suspected her of doing something other than looking at mail. It seemed only she suspected herself and with a labored sigh, she forced herself to calm down and think of a way to hear their discussion before it was done and over with.

As if a light suddenly clicked into full beam, she remembered her very receptive minicomputer that abruptly weighed down a pocket in her book bag, her mind grateful that it hadn't materialized in the palms of her hands. She moved forward, seemingly burying her eyes in mail as a hand reached into her book bag to grab her trusted device. She acted as though she were reaching blindly into the low placed cubby hole as if she might have missed a letter and effectively hid her use of her bright blue computer. She typed vigorously, her heart beating loudly in her ears as she hunkered down and traced the sound frequencies seeping through the cracks in the doorway.

Her earrings visibly changed from small pearls to round blue balls that matched her computer perfectly. She felt a jolt of excitement rush through her as the voices started to ring in her ears, her mind zooming in to focus on the conversation as she physically remained in her same squatting position, blindly reaching for missed parcels of mail in her teachers low to reach slot.

_"You agreed to do as we told you." _A male voice sounded, his voice howling in a frustrated attempt of a whisper.

_"No, I agreed to make up an organization to distract people from your investigation," _Risa stated indifferently. Already, Ami's throat was dry, her heart thumping louder and louder as she listened. _"What you want me to do now is completely juvenile! You skirt chasers can keep looking for these fake heroines but I won't stoop so low." _

_ "And why not? Don't you need the money?" _

_ "There are some things that just can't be bought. I told you from the beginning I didn't believe in the existence of these so called senshi and that I wouldn't try to find them. How can you find people you don't believe exist?"_ Risa almost yelled, Ami's eyes cringing at the high decibel she did manage to reach.

_ "Look, we'll double the offer if you take this job. It's simple enough all you have to do is—"_

"No matter how many times you swipe your hand down there it's bound to come back empty."

Ami jumped, nearly hitting her head against the wall of mail until avoiding it at the last second. Hastily she snapped her computer shut, hiding it beneath the stack of envelopes now crumpled in her anxious hands.

"Wufei," she breathed, gulping slightly as she tried to hide her surprise. "I-uhm- I'm quite obsessive about double checking. It's a bad habit, I know, but what're you doing here?"

He looked at her suspiciously, knowing from observance that she didn't get flustered easily, or so he thought.

"Delivering teacher surveys," he answered simply.

"Oh," she replied. "I see."

Her heart dropped when she saw Risa march out of the office and as her eyes followed disparagingly after her, she hardly even noticed that Wufei had taken an unwarranted interest in her earrings.

The once blue orbs transitioned to pearls, his mind disregarding the observation and classifying it as useless information. Girls had troublesome trends these days, some of which he found to be quite annoying. He just never imagined that a girl so concerned about her academics above all else was interested in such meaningless accessories that could change colors and probably cost a small fortune.

"Agent Kuiko."

Wufei looked up when he heard Ami make the acknowledgement. Originally, Ami hadn't recognized him but behind his bruised eye and slightly swollen cheek she was quite astonished that she had overlooked his strongly defined jawline that jutted out at his chin and reminded her of an ex-boyfriend of her mothers who was awkward with children and always over-compensated with jokes to fill the disturbing silence.

"Ms. Mizuno," he nodded back. "I'm not surprised that teachers trust you to retrieve their mail."

Wufei frowned to the side of her, eyeing the man coldly and scoffing. It went unnoticed by Ami, however, and she found herself bobbing her head.

"Being trustworthy is one of the most important attributes a doctor should have," she stated, standing there awkwardly as she observed his wounds. He must've been investigating something other than the senshi since she assumed he couldn't have acquired such injuries in the supposedly dead end search for them, could he?

"Umm," she sounded hesitantly, uncertain of why she couldn't just stifle her curiosity. Funnily enough, Wufei's words echoed through her mind, his statement on her curiosity being her undoing making her feel strangely exposed. People had always told her curiosity was something to be cherished and that she'd be greater for her surplus of it but with him she couldn't help but feel that maybe curiosity was just as dangerous as it was advantageous. "What—"

Agent Kuiko laughed in amusement at her hesitation.

"You're curious to know what happened," he stated, pointing to his bruised eye and unsightly puffy cheek. "I guess even geniuses aren't immune to wanting to hear a good story."

She smiled weakly; slightly appreciative that he wasn't offended.

"Well it's really not such a great tale," he admitted with a sigh. "I was playing catch with my son, didn't pay attention when he threw it and the ball hit me right smack in the eye. Pretty anti-climactic really. Then again, nothing really interesting happens to me anyways."

Wufei was heard giving a degrading scoff and all Ami seemed to be able to do was nod blankly. He was nice, for an investigator, but her previous eavesdropping made her wonder if perhaps he was just putting up a front.

"Next time you should pay more attention or you might find your son throwing the ball at your eye on purpose," she smiled, her eyes twinkling when he roared in laughter. He may not have been straight with his façade but at least she could find amusement in his over reactions. Like her mother's ex-boyfriend who raced for unfunny jokes to tell when she was around to show her mother that he could be a good fit, she could see that his goal had absolutely nothing to do with her and everything to do with his target.

"I'll keep that in mind," he managed to say after his loud disruptive laughter. "Now could you do me a favor, Ms. Mizuno, and put this in the principal's mailbox?"

"Certainly," Ami replied. She reached to grab the letter, freezing in her place when the arm of his jacket rode up his wrist. A familiar barbed wire tattoo tangled around a skull and trailing around his wrist like a skin bracelet pulsed in her vision, her mind reeling as her eyes shot back up to his eyes and she forced herself to take the letter undisturbed.

"Thank you," he said, thankfully not noticing her brief stall.

As he walked, her mind raced and the pieces quickly began melding together. Minako was wrong. The police were far from quitting and well on their way to finding a ploy that would expose them all.

"I don't really care either way," she heard Wufei say from behind her. "But do you space out often?"

Bright azure eyes met onyx and for once Ami felt he wasn't actually trying to ward her off like the plague.

"By that, you mean…?" She drifted, still unconscious of the fact that this was the second time she was blown into an unexpected shock of revelation while in the presence of Wufei.

"Never mind," he grumbled, tossing the last survey into the bottom slot and making his exit without a farewell.

* * *

"I was surprised you called."

Makoto frowned, looking uncomfortably around the office before stepping inside.

"Yeah well," she grumbled. "There isn't really a way to run away from this, is there..."

He laughed, smiling with a nod of approval at her statement.

"I'm afraid not," he replied sitting amusedly on the corner of his desk and motioning for her to take a seat, which she refused.

"Well then, Ms. Kino. Why don't we get down to business?"

"You've given me an impossible offer." She rattled off as if she'd forget to say it if the room was quiet for a moment longer. A rough gulp shimmied its way down her throat and as she tried to stand tall, she couldn't have felt smaller.

"Excuse me?" He questioned, the smile fleeting from his face in a rapid sprint.

"How can I find proof that Minako is Sailor V if she isn't? Besides, if she was, do you really think she'd tell me something like that?" Makoto reasoned, feeling her insides roil in unrest as her subconscious started to criticize her decision.

"You're digging your grave here, Miss Kino," he stated. "The Gates have money. They can burry you and lock you away for the rest of your life with no chance of bail. You'll just get lost in the prison system like any other juvenile delinquent with no hope of ever—"

"I know what awaits me by doing this," Makoto angrily spat, her throat going dry as she gave way to her wavering resolve. She had gone back and forth with herself on how to handle this and there was only one decision she could make that wouldn't leave her in regret. Turning in her friend may have seemed like a logical choice given her options but loyalty to her comrades was much more important than her own personal well-being. It was an alarming realization but when she sat to think about it, it really shouldn't have been much of a surprise. She'd sacrificed her life for much less. This time, she was glad she could at least do it for someone she cherished.

"You're making a huge mistake, Miss Kino."

The words seemed to echo in her mind and for the first time in almost a week, she let out a sigh of relief. She reached into her pocket for the crumpled card and placed it decisively on his desk, her green eyes vibrant with satisfaction as she made her choice.

"Honestly," she started. "I don't think I am."

From the other side of the mirror, Quatre smiled, silently commending Makoto for her conviction. He may not have expected her to react so chivalrously but he was pleasantly surprised by it. When she left he could see the astonishment on the investigator's face. He only wondered how they could cover up the fact that the whole lawsuit was a sham and prevent the press or any other unwanted party from discovering the true intent of this overlooked charade.

It seemed that if the police wanted to uproot the truth about Minako, it would not be by the betrayal of her friends. Though it was a strenuous discovery, it was one well appreciated by the ever polite Quatre Winner whose faith in mankind seemed to be strengthened in the scene he had secretly observed on the wayside.

"Well Mr. Winner," the investigator spoke through the double-sided mirror. "What do we do now?"

With arms folded across his chest, Quatre pushed the button so the other man could hear his response.

"Leave it to me," he replied. "I'll take care of everything."

His original plan may have fallen through but it didn't mean it was a complete waste. He'd watched long enough to know what it would take to gain Makoto's uninhibited trust and he'd be sure not to fail.

* * *

Thank you for reading. I am skeptical about this chapter. At first I felt that much was happening but then after rereading I'm thinking that not too much has actually happened. The transitions from scenes also makes me a bit queasy so if you have any input on that subject it would be nice to hear because I could use a lot of help or advice about that...Other than that, I hope this chapter was decent. And again thank you for reading and for your reviews! They are always much appreciated.

Unnamed: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like it so far and I'm so excited that I haven't misrepresented any characters so far. I hope you continue to enjoy this story and again thank you for reading and reviewing!

TopazDragon: Thank you for your review! It is such a relief to know that the humor doesn't distract too much from the story line. I do sometimes get a bit carried away by trying to be funny and not focusing enough on the intended plot of the story ^^: Nevertheless, when the girls find out about the boys I'm hoping it is a pretty epic discovery! I'm excited to get to that part but completely indecisive at the moment about what is needed to build up to that point XD As for Ami, I'm hoping she continues to help me move this story along. Her curiosity and natural need to find answers seems to me to be the most logical way things would become catalyzed but that's just me. Thank you so much for your encouragement, it is always such a pleasure!

agoraphobia: Thank you for both your reviews! And I agree, school is murder XD Duo and Rei are definitely going to be an item that I am stoked about! The two contrast so well and I love it but I'm doing my absolute best to be patient and not just blatantly force them onto each other. Patience is something I often lack XD Anyhow, thank you so much for reading and for your review! I'm glad the combination of both worlds is believable and not too far-fetched ^^

Henio41: Thank you for your review! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

varee: Thank you for your review! And sorry about the withdrawal ^^; Hopefully this chapter wasn't disappointing but it is probably the first one that really makes me quite nervous to get feedback on. Wufei is certainly a challenge and I my hope is that this chapter has still stayed true to his nature but at the moment I'm uncertain whether I have done that or not. Anyhow, I was relieved to receive a positive interview perhaps it will continue? We'll see ^^ Thank you again for reading and reviewing!

angelic aquarian: Thank you for your review! I'm glad Heero was kept in character. Him along with the rest of the pilots are so hard for me to fathom completely. I love their flaws and their anti-social characteristics but I'm fairly bad at keeping them in tact. I hope you continue to enjoy this story and again thank you so much for reading!

4Shame


	8. Chapter 8

"Alright," Rei huffed, taking a standing position at the end of the booth and crossing her arms over her chest. "Let's get this meeting over with. Grandpa still isn't completely recovered so I don't want him to overexert himself while I'm gone."

Wry expressions crossed both Minako and Ami's features as their melted shakes suddenly caught Rei's attention. She frowned, reluctantly taking a seat in the booth and sighing.

"This won't be quick, will it."

The statement was answered by silence and with slight disappointment Rei leant back against the cushioned bench with a large exhale. The arcade was lively today. Booths were filled with bodies and Motoki along with his sister hardly even had time to sit down in between orders and new arrivals. The investigation attracted a huge influx of tourists who had all caught some memo that the arcade was a hotspot for supernatural sightings. Motoki was thrilled at first but as the days were flooded with constant bussing and customer service, he became a bit envious of the times where the arcade was nearly empty and he had absolutely nothing to do but chat with the girls and Mamoru who were always so willing to stop by.

"Sorry I'm late."

Rei's amethyst eyes snapped back to the table in time to catch Makoto's shimmy onto the cushioned bench across from her and next to Ami. The brunette was noticeably well tended, her slightly olive cream skin faintly aglow as her auburn curls bounced with an unseen lightness that Rei couldn't remember noticing before. Sprite green eyes blinked in reflective clearness, the lights of the arcade bouncing off Makoto's glossy gems and creating a warming, somewhat startling, twinkle.

"Hn," Rei grunted to herself, studying Makoto's appearance curiously as her eyes ventured to her attire. She wore a loosely fitted white tank matched with slim bobbly gold necklaces that made it less casual and more fashionable. Stylistically stressed jeans adorned her legs and when Rei glanced to the side she noticed the three-quarter length leather jacket she had bought her for her birthday just last year. Normally she would have commented with approval on Makoto's fitting choice of apparel but when her eyes fell upon the black high-heeled boots strapped over the brunette's jeans, she was immediately alarmed.

"Okay, who are you seeing and why didn't I know about it?"

Rei looked up in surprise, finding Minako leering across the table with a smirk towards Makoto who flushed a tomato red. It seemed she wasn't the only one to notice Makoto's striking appearance.

"Whaddyou mean?" Makoto hastily replied, grabbing Ami's melted shake and attempting to spoon out a bit of ice cream but failing after realizing it could now be called cold milk. Disappointed, she put the spoon down and pushed the glass away.

"You don't wear heels, Mako-chan," Ami observed from her side, Rei and Minako nodding in agreement.

"Yes I do," Makoto tried to protest.

"Pft," Rei scoffed. "Only when they're magically forced onto your feet."

It was known that Makoto was a bit self-conscious about her height that often made her stick out like a sore thumb amongst a crowd. This was one of the reasons she loved being around Setsuna, Michiru and Haruka especially. They towered over most just as she had, and whenever they were around, her posture was always the pinnacle of perfect. However, when they weren't around and the girls had tried to convince her to sport high heels while wearing a particular pair of black, creased shorts, to accentuate and elongate her legs even more, she would always refuse. She was tall already so why would she make herself even taller?

Makoto frowned, knowingly losing the battle and sighing in defeat.

"Alright," she exhaled hesitantly. "I'm not exactly seeing someone but there's this guy in Botany—"

"Guy in Botany?" Came an interested voice at the side of the table. Rei scowled, recognizing him immediately and shooting him a silent death glare. "Sounds like we're about to get some serious girl talk going here," he grinned, propping his elbows on the table, attentively awaiting more as he forced Rei aside with his hips for some space to sit. Minako couldn't help but giggle whereas Makoto was slightly embarrassed and Ami was keener to Rei's reaction which was just a thin line short of deciding an assassination was in order.

"What're you doing here Duo?" Rei asked flatly, trying her hardest not to be too callous but struggling all the while.

"Oh just checking in on my favorite girls," he winked, reaching for a milkshake. "Gah, you guys on some kind of diet and just order this so you could pretend you had a milkshake?" He commented, lifting a spoonful of melted shake and letting it pour back into the glass. "Because if you are, as a friend, I have to say none of you ladies need to be concerned with your weight. I mean, I tell Rei all the time that she is so in shape and beautiful but if not for that anger issue she's got going then she might have more friends."

Minako quickly stifled a laugh, acting as though she were coughing and apologizing as she pulled out a handkerchief and smothered down three fake guttural-filled coughs just for good measure. Rei rubbed her head in pure irritation, a vein visibly throbbing on her forehead as her restraint threatened to leave at any second. In observance of Rei's teetering self-control, Ami made to say something that could get him to be less like himself and possibly get him to leave but he had spoken before she had the chance.

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute!" He said looking to each of their wrists and grabbing Makoto's since it was the closest. She winced, looking surprised as she just let him stare, his finger prodding at the ornate green cap of her watch to get it open. When realizing what he was trying to do, Makoto hastily retracted her arm from his grip, hiding it discretely below the table.

"Don't you have any boundaries?" Rei snapped, panic in her eyes though she hid it quickly with rage.

Duo ignored her question, strangely feeling as though the whole table had tensed and he wasn't quite certain why.

"How come you guys didn't tell me that if you wanna be included you had to get a matching watch?" He inquired, noticing the different colors and symbols on their wrists which they had suspiciously tried to hide.

"They're an old set we got together at the swap meet when we were kids," Minako blurted with a laugh. "Well, when we were younger. It's not exactly a ticket into our group, you know? Just something we thought was cool back then and obviously still do since we're all wearing it…" She laughed.

She hoped and prayed he believed her and when she noticed him shrug nonchalantly she felt they may have dodged that bullet.

"That's pretty cool," he smiled. "I didn't realize you guys were such good friends."

"We are," Rei remarked coldly, forfeiting any resolve to be tolerant. "Now if you don't mind, why don't you go get some friends of your own and stop trying to take mine."

"Rei," Minako and Ami scolded, neither liking her method of getting rid of him. They knew he needed to be pushed out before he made anymore detrimental observations but doing so in such a blatantly obvious way made it seem like they had something to hide.

Oblivious to the true reason of their concern, Duo smirked.

"Aww, babe," he said, slinging his arm around Rei's shoulders and squeezing affectionately. "Is that why you're always so angry with me? I wouldn't steal your friends! I just wanna get to know you better."

She gave him an unconvinced glare, a scoff silently going through him as he noticed her unenthused amethyst eyes that set him on edge whenever he saw them. They were sharp, perceptive and alarmingly appealing but he supposed that was only natural since she herself was a beauty. Hard and immovable, she made no attempt to form a verbal rebuttal and from experience he knew that was his cue to leave before things became volatile. After all, he didn't want to be homeless now.

"Alright," he said, taking his arm from Rei's shoulder and pushing himself up from the table. "Before I get myself into any more trouble, I think now is as good a time as any to leave you ladies to your own accord," he smiled.

"Aww Duo you don't have to go," Minako chimed in to make him feel as though he was wanted. Uncaring, Rei pulled out a book from her bag and started to read as Ami and Makoto merely observed from the waysides.

"Thanks Minako," Duo stated. "But I actually spotted some of my pals at the other table."

"Oh," Minako smiled, following where Duo was pointing and flinching when spotting her history partner that she had been avoiding along with a familiar Chinese boy that seemed to be slowly warming up to Ami. Or perhaps he was just stalking her. She couldn't be sure since he was somewhat difficult for her to read. "Have fun," she mindlessly stated only to earn a laugh.

"I'll try," he amusedly stated. "And as always, give Usagi my warmest greetings," he winked and walked off.

He happily joined his two quieter friends who seemed to be as uncaring as Rei when Duo sat down. And as soon as Minako was certain his attention was no longer directed towards them, she flashed Rei a brief frown.

"Could you have been more obvious?" She inquired.

Rei shrugged.

"If I faked being nice, he'd be more alarmed. I only did what was in my character to do when it involves him," she said indifferently, flipping a page as she casually read.

"Yeah, he didn't seem to suspect anything when Rei pretty much kicked him out," Makoto pointed out. "If anything, we might've been in some real trouble if we let him stay longer. He doesn't seem to be the type to drop a subject before he finds the answer he wants."

"Which relates to our current issue at hand," Ami kicked in, reminding them of why they were together in the first place.

"And here I nearly forgot," Rei frowned, closing her book and placing it back into her bag. "Tch, that guy is more of a pain than I thought."

Minako sighed, rubbing her temples before checking the clock for the time.

"Usagi should've been here by now," she mentioned. "This is late even by her standard…"

"You want me to call her," Makoto offered, becoming instantly hesitant when looking to her watch. "Never mind."

They had all grown overtly cautious of using their communicators after nearly being discovered by a carefree American boy so they thought it might be a good idea to refrain from using it in such a public place.

"Knowing her, she probably forgot she was supposed to meet us here," Rei sighed. "Go figure. The one time she's _supposed_ to be at the arcade she's nowhere to be seen."

Her eyes trailed out around them and somehow caught sight of Motoki on the phone behind the counter. She watched him nod and mumble an okay before he hung up and turned to their table. She scoffed.

"Well, here comes her excuse," she said as Motoki made his way over with a tray of four sodas.

"Hey girls," he smiled, placing the drinks on the table. "Usagi called and sends her deepest apologies. She was grounded by her mother for a failed exam. She won't be able to make it."

The girls groaned.

"Thanks Motoki," they chorused and he saluted.

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything else." And then he was off, bustling around a crowded arcade and catering to the masses.

"Well then I guess we'll just have to get on without her," Minako stated, motioning for Ami to start.

The blunette cleared her throat, taking a sip from her soda and then propelling into her discoveries.

"Firstly, Risa is working with the police."

"What?" Makoto snapped, completely appalled as she nearly tipped over her drink but caught it in the last minute. Her grip tightened over her cup, her throat drying as she thought of the shorter brown-eyed girl. She may not have always been excited to see her but she still considered her to be a friend and sometimes loyal pupil. On days where she found herself with excess free time and no way to fill it, Makoto would go to the school to see if any of the clubs were practicing and if Risa was there, she'd always jump in to help her train. It wasn't a friendship like she had at this table, but she had always thought that Risa would be a reflection of herself if she weren't part of the senshi. Apparently, she was mistaken.

Rei curiously observed Makoto's frown, completely unknowledgeable about who this Risa girl was and how she was related to Makoto or their situation.

"And this is important?" She asked Ami.

The blunette nodded.

"She's a founder of the publically known J.R.S.D.," Ami reported. Rei seemed to understand immediately, taking a mindless sip of her drink amidst the conversation.

"Are you sure she's with the police though?" Makoto asked with uncertainty, disappointment evident in her eyes. Again, Ami nodded. A deep exhale escaped Makoto and the frown that she wore only deepened.

"But there's more," Minako picked up, urging the meeting forward. Makoto tentatively listened as did Rei and Ami was once more the voice of explanation.

"After doing some digging I found out that the mall heist was staged."

"They're trying to draw us out," Rei breathed, her stomach hurting the moment those words left her lips. Makoto and Minako both seemed grim as well, tension rising in their bodies as they tried to appear as though they were having a casual talk.

"Then what was the point of having J.R.S.D. stop them before the senshi arrived?" Makoto questioned skeptically, her head hurting slightly over debating the question.

"We think it was to get the public to make a mockery of the investigation and lead the senshi to believe they weren't in trouble," Minako speculated. "If we didn't feel pressured then we probably would've gotten careless and reconvened our nightly routes."

"We don't have nightly routes," Rei cut in.

Minako sighed, smiling faintly before explaining.

"In England Artemis would sometimes have me patrol the city looking for opportunities to practice my abilities. To make a long story short I was pretty much the Batman of England, arresting criminals in a mask and turning them into the police. They think I may be using that same tactic today and so they've started staging crimes. The mall heist was meant to be high profile so that the whole city could hear about the crime stopped by J.R.S.D. and eventually reach the ears of the senshi that the investigation has been thrown off course and drowning."

"Sort of like when Zoisite posed as Sailor Moon and publically stopped that bank robbery," Makoto stated, slumping in her seat.

"Exactly," Minako confirmed.

"Actually," Ami started. "I believe that event has been crucial to the development of their scheme and investigation. That bank robbery is one of the few video recordings they have to go off of and since the heroine appeared roughly around the time that Sailor V was still being sited in England, they've deduced two things. One, that the senshi fight everyday criminals and two that Sailor V isn't the only senshi anymore."

"Hmm," Rei hummed, still not quite convinced that every loophole of how the police came to know as much as they do now had been covered. "I still don't understand how J.R.S.D. is supposed to get us to be careless and reconvene these so called 'nightly routes'. I mean, they're supposed to defend the public, so why would the senshi even need to be active?"

"Well, from a conversation Ami overheard," Minako said. "They expect J.R.S.D. to do more than just thwart criminals. Unfortunately we're not quite certain what that is."

"Of course," Rei sighed dejectedly, leaning forward in her seat as she rested her head in her hands.

"Tch," Makoto scoffed, a scowl staining her features as she picture Risa. "I could probably find that out."

"That would be good," Ami nodded with approval. "We could use as much insight as we can get."

Makoto bobbed her head, running a hand through her hair and staring off to the side. This investigation was suddenly beginning to feel real again and the anxiety it brewed was menacing, it could be seen on all their features.

"It still feels like something's missing," Rei sighed, her head still buried in her hands. "There has to be something else going on here. I mean, I understand the staged crimes, J.R.S.D.'s appearance and the whole lot but why has it been so easy for us to unravel their plans whereas they seem to have made no progress finding us? Besides we don't even fight organized crimes by _humans_ so why should their plans upset us enough to make a meeting out of it?"

The table went quiet, eyes shifting between Minako and Ami until Minako sighed with responsibility.

"Ami and I think that if we're passive for too long and allow the police to meander around, then they'll be sure to notice us." She explained.

Rei seemed interested in hearing that as she straightened herself up and looked solidly to Minako and then to Ami. Makoto seemed slightly curious though her eyes were cast to her drink and her mouth idly hung around the straw.

"How so?"

Again, they were quiet, uncertain of how they should explain it.

"Well, we aren't exactly the typical set of friends," Minako stated. "I mean, we all have different things we're good at and to the outside eye those things have absolutely no correlation to each other so it sort of makes you wonder why we're so close."

Rei huffed, leaning back in her chair in contemplation. That was true. They did have their own strong suits and no one girl was exactly like the other. Sure, most of them enjoyed shopping and boys but their tastes in attire differed greatly so they couldn't necessarily lie and say they became friends because of their similar fashion senses. Still, was that enough to deem them conspirators in the senshi business?

"I still don't understand," Makoto had spoken up, biting her straw until she simply let it fall back into her cup. "If you think they'll discover us if they hang around long enough then what exactly are we supposed to do about it? Scare them off?"

Rei nodded in agreement to the question, ears perking to hear the response.

"Well," Minako started. "Ami and I think we have a way to get the police off our track but we won't do it unless we have everyone's consent."

Makoto and Rei looked to each other, silently considering what it meant to consent to this fabricated plan. To agree meant they believed there was something to find should the police be allowed to stay long enough. To disagree meant they believed there was nothing the police could find that would lead them to believe that all five of them were heroines. Still, the thought of having the off their backs so they could resume their usual lives was too appealing.

"You must think rationally," Ami then spoke up, looking keenly in her friends' directions. "Moments ago one of our peers, completely unaware, nearly discovered we had communicators strapped to each our wrists, all with unique colors and symbols. If he had even the smallest inclination to research the symbols he'd find their origins and then there'd be hell trying to explain ourselves out of that one especially given that they already suspect Minako to be directly tied to Sailor V if she isn't Sailor V herself."

That seemed to be the speech that won Jupiter and Mars over as they both frowned.

"Okay," Makoto breathed. "Let's hear it."

Rei nodded, folding her arms across her chest in apprehension as she nervously listened.

"As we see it," Ami began. "The police believe the senshi are rooted here in Juuban district."

"Yeah," Rei nodded. "What of it?"

"There's one thing about the senshi that they don't know about," Minako jumped in. "Something important."

"And that is?" Makoto inquired impatiently, her foot tapping against the floor in her booted heels.

"We're not the only active senshi on this planet."

* * *

Duo yawned, looking over his shoulder and noticing the quartet as they parted ways. Makoto straggled behind, leaving a hefty tip and falling into a short conversation with the owner who he recently found to be named Motoki. The man seemed well acquainted with the lot and Duo silently recorded that observation in his mind before returning his attention to Heero and Wufei.

"What do you think they were talking about?" Wufei questioned, his onyx eyes lingering on Motoki whom Duo assumed he had noticed was close to the girls too.

Duo shrugged. "Last I heard, it was just girl talk," he said, taking a large gulp of his soda before picking up his burger.

"Hn," Wufei grunted, gulping down another glass of water. This investigation was moving too slowly for him and Duo could tell as his charcoal-haired friend started to alter his behavior for the sake of getting in close with his target. Normally he would just barrel his way to the answers he wanted, but as he found he lacked direction, he had to consider a different tactic.

"Seemed like stressful girl talk," he heard Heero mention, the brunette's eyes glued to a newspaper making him appear ten years older than he truly was. On the table was Trowa's chess set, Duo scoffing as Wufei sat back staring at the pieces trying to calculate his next move against Heero.

"Eh," Duo sighed nonchalantly, "Girls are sometimes melodramatic especially in high school. Besides, they were probably talking about Makoto's new crush and discovered he already had a girlfriend or something. I could definitely picture some tears about that one. Girls are babies when it comes to denied dreams but that's usually the best time to jump in and sweep them off their feet, ya know?"

He winked, chomping hungrily on his burger afterwards and nodding in approval.

"Makoto has a crush?" Wufei sneered, advancing his knight to put Heero in check. "So Quatre's using that approach, huh?"

Duo stopped in mid-bite, completely shocked at what he was hearing.

"What?" He almost shouted, quieting himself when receiving a cold stare from Heero and nearly choking on his food. He grabbed a napkin from the table and hacked into it, taking a breath before resuming his inquiry. "Quatre's seducing her? Gah, he's more heartless than I thought! And people think you two are cruel."

Wufei scoffed. "Idiot. Quatre chooses the path with the least amount of bloodshed. More than likely, getting her to like him is the easiest way to finish this stupid search."

"Yeah, cause bloodshed seems like an inevitable result of this _dangerous _mission," Duo replied with a scoff. "Girls in mini-skirts making a raucous…it's a nice picture, but it's not really one that makes me think a bloody battle is soon to come."

Wufei frowned, ignoring Duo's sarcasm and sitting back in concentration after Heero moved his king out of harm's way and placed him in a tricky position.

"Anyways," Duo sighed. "How have you two been doing? Find anything interesting?"

There was no response, not that Duo really expected one. These two had a habit of keeping their strategies under lock and key especially if that strategy included throwing him under the bus. He groaned, recalling all the times they had used him for the sake of completing their own missions and they never once believed it was necessary to share just what they might be thinking. Distracted temporarily by Wufei's increasingly frustrated frown, Duo glanced to the chess board and smirked.

"Might I make a suggestion?" He asked in a mock accent of a refined butler.

Wufei's eyes narrowed towards him and Duo took his grunt as approval before taking the queen and moving it decisively.

Heero's jaw noticeably tightened his death glare burning cinders into Duo's sheepishly proud face. Even Wufei looked annoyed despite the fact that Duo had managed to win the game with a checkmate.

"You two should really learn how to make use of your women," he boldly remarked, amusedly excusing himself from the booth. Left to stare, the two frowned after him, exhales escaping each their lips as they were forced to consider the less than pleasant truth of his statement.

* * *

Makoto sat tiredly at the bar, mindlessly swiping cashews from the counter as she read through her book for answers to her science homework. It all sounded like gibberish to her and she released a pent up sigh of tension as she rubbed her head in attempts to sooth her throbbing skull. Perhaps she should've asked Ami for some help before they ended their little get together, she groaned.

With a deliberate thump, she shut her book in defeat, glancing briefly at the clock and noticing she still had an hour left before her shift started. Disappointed, she careened into a mindless slump; her head nestled in her folded arms upon the countertop.

"Hey Shino," she called out from her position. "Can I start early today?"

A stout, pot-bellied man, hobbled into view, a frown plated onto his mustached face and it was clear to Makoto what his answer would be.

"No Kino," he replied. "You've got too much overtime as it is," he said. "You seriously need to find a new hobby or something. You've been hanging around here too often."

She laughed, picking her head up from the counter with a slight whine and propping it on the palm of her hand.

"Well, I have nothing better to do so why not," she grumbled to herself, sadly pushing around a loose leaf of paper until it fell off.

"What was that?" Shino yelled out to her.

"Nothing," she said, waving him off and watching him as he disappeared once more into the kitchen. She huffed, taking her pencil and lazily peeling off flakes of wood with her nails. In boredom, she noted how easily the pencil seemed to bend at her will and curiously she attempted to sharpen it with the low pressure of her fingertips. Artemis and Luna had mentioned some time before departing on their big trip that they should be experiencing some changes with regards to their powers. From what she had heard, Rei was slowly beginning to light matches just by looking at them and Ami had admitted to accidently freezing a glass of water in a panicked rummage through the house for her missing report. Minako hadn't noticed any changes and neither had Usagi but Makoto suspected that the soft feel of the pine between her fingers could be classified as a form of change as it seemed to be on the verge of molding into whatever shape she desired. Of course, she had yet to successfully confirm that her powers were beginning to advance but she thought now was as good a time as any to practice. After all, it wasn't like the place was swarming with people or anything...

So, she focused intently on the edge of the pencil, taking sight of the jagged point nearly peaking over the black led in its core. She smoothed her thumb gently over the tip and visualized the pencil shavings splicing themselves from the device and unwinding to the countertop. As the pencil seemed to soften beneath her thumb, she steadily released the tip, holding the writing utensil up by the eraser. For minutes she stared at the point, trying, _urging_ the wood to peel away. She could feel a throb pulsing against her skull and she took a deep breath before tightening her jaw and increasing her focus and succinctly drawing her breath in for a hold.

_Com'on_…she mentally prodded.

_Com'on_…she thought again.

_COM'ON!_

Instantly she heard something, her green eyes glittering with accomplishment as she waited for the shavings to fall onto the counter. With high hopes she watched, hearing a disgruntled creek before finally hearing a distinctive snap. Fully expectant of a mind-changing resolution, she found herself falling back in disappointment, a small, miniscule chip of wood floating weightlessly from the edge of her pencil and onto the countertop.

She growled, rolling her eyes and throwing the blasted thing at the small wine collection against the wall, nearly toppling over the bottles.

"Kino!" She heard Shino shout from the kitchen. "That better not have been you!"

She flinched, hastily shouting back. "Sorry! It slipped…?"

"Slipped my ass," he grumbled, Makoto finding amusement in his language as her lips curved into a smirk. It was a bit of a sad fact but she had an awful habit of picturing Shino as her father. He may not have been the most appealing, put together or polite pretend father figure out there, but she felt acclimated to view him as such since the day he begrudgingly gave her a job. Since then he was always somewhat brash with her, lecturing her on how she should hate her job so she could be motivated to do better and shoving all the dirty work her way just for good measure. She hated it, sure, but when she completed her tasks with flying colors and managed to do so well that he couldn't deny her superb workmanship, she couldn't help but feel as though he were fatherly in the way he'd place a gruff hand on her shoulder to commend her for a job well done. It was in those moments that his lectures received new light along with his consistent practice of giving her the dirty, unwanted assignments.

A small laugh escaped her lips and she lazily started to place her books and notes back into her bag.

"Oops," she gasped, wincing slightly as she pulled a paper out to unfold the crease it acquired when being placed between two notebooks. Her cleaning habit hadn't stopped at just rooms, kitchens and houses, no. She sort of had an obsessive compulsive disorder when it came to cleaning and organizing of any form. It was one of the reasons why Ami loved to have Makoto over to study because Makoto had an acclimated skill of organizing perfectly. Even in her lunch boxes foods were separated neatly in compartments with an order and a place, a habit that Ami tried to convince made Makoto good at solving puzzles and hence she shouldn't struggle with mathematics, but Makoto wasn't too sure about that one. Ami had even gone as far as to explain that Makoto's skill with mixing ingredients could be correlated to a hidden skill in Chemistry to which Makoto vehemently denied. The only chemistry Makoto ever liked to consider was the wonderful mystery of attraction between two good looking people. Speaking of which…

"Is this seat taken?"

Makoto looked up, completely unaware, her eyes widening immediately as she snapped her head back to her bag in a surprisingly shy reaction.

"Umm, no, go ahead," she managed to say, trying her hardest not to appear nervous though her legs had started to quiver with anxiety.

"Thank you," he sweetly replied, his voice sounding like honey to her ears and she honestly hated it. The others had told her she had a bad habit of turning into a star-struck fool when she was met with boys she found attractive and she wished she had addressed and fixed that problem far before this moment.

In Botany he had already sort of made her a blubbering idiot with the way that he smiled or the way he complimented her knowledge of plant life and how to nurture them even in the coldest of winters. He had told her once that if mother nature had a human form, she would appear no differently than she had and she nearly fainted with flattery but was thankfully saved by the bell that rung straight through her ears and ricocheted heavily in her head.

He was charm personified and perfected, his pale blonde hair giving him the look of an angel as his impossibly blue eyes glistened in even the dimmest lighting. He was in fact the reason she had felt so inclined to forget her self-consciousness and do what she normally would not but when he was around, she often questioned herself, feeling so nervous that she was sure it wasn't healthy.

"Well what do we have here?" Came a suspicious voice, Makoto cursing inaudibly as she recognized the burly tenure of her sometimes abrasive boss. She looked up to come in full sight of Shino who had somehow managed to slip into the bar unnoticed with a glass and towel in hand. He eyed Quatre suspiciously, a frown deep upon his mustached face as his charcoal eyes searched for some type of imperfection that Makoto knew he would never find.

"Shino-san," Makoto had blurted hastily, not knowing what she was trying to say but glaring at him to stop. He scoffed, ignoring her silent plea and leaning against the counter in Quatre's face who smiled completely unbothered to which Shino had to admit was a pretty commendable reaction.

"You're not trying to swindle my best waitress here for a free drink, are you kid?" He asked gruffly. "They say the sweet ones are the kids you should look out for most so what's your angle, huh?"

Makoto had to keep herself from slapping a hand to her forehead in embarrassment, the blush rushing across her cheeks far from noticeable as Quatre and Shino were stuck in an intimate stare-down.

"There's no angle sir," Quatre calmly replied with an unfaltering smile. "I actually came here because I heard the service was exceptional at late hours of the evening."

"Is that so?" Shino remarked thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he still kept in close vicinity to Quatre who was slowly charming him over.

"Yes sir," Quatre replied with a curt nod.

"Well then, what exactly is a kid your age doing up so late?"

Quatre frowned, a fleeting expression of lament sweeping his features until they returned to its usual kind smile. "I don't really sleep well," he explained. "So I try to use that time to study. I frequent many late-night diners but I haven't yet found a place that has a good overnight staff so I thought I might try this one. I just never knew that Kino-san had worked here," he said with a glance in her direction. She blushed ruefully, casting her eyes in a different direction and hoping he wouldn't say something more about her. "But now that I know that, it is no surprise that it would have such pleasant reviews."

Makoto almost choked from embarrassment, the sound covered by the hardy laugh expounding itself from the lungs of her aggressive employer. He leant back in amusement, patting Quatre gruffly on the shoulder. The blond boy smiled genially in response, ever the polite young man as was rare in such a dim diner.

"You're not too bad, kid," he commented with approval.

"I'm relieved you think so," Quatre replied.

"Mmhmm," Shino hummed. "Now you two get off this bar here and leave these seats for people that can actually drink. This is the evening now and I don't want you kids mixed up with those alcoholics," he said pointing at the group of university friends that had walked in.

"But Shino, my shift—"

"Has been covered," Shino finished for her, giving her a stern look and silencing her from fighting back. She frowned, uncertain of what he was trying to do but knowing from experience that it didn't pay to argue with him too frequently. "Take that booth over there and I'll bring you guys a nice snack to help your studying along. You have homework, don't you Kino?"

Evergreen eyes glared in his direction, a silent nod the only response she made.

"Well then, get to it," he ordered, waving them off towards the booth.

"Thank you very much, sir," Quatre said, extending a hand for him to shake. Grinning, Shino met his hand and shook it firmly.

"No problem kid."

Before Makoto had managed to grudgingly follow Quatre to the booth, she was stopped by a calloused hand upon her shoulder, her head whipping around to look Shino square in the face.

"W-what?" She asked curiously, noticing the discomforting and unfamiliar look in his eyes. Was that delight? She hastily shook the thought from her mind and assumed such an emotion was void when it came to Shino in his stout, pot-bellied and abrasive nature.

"Don't mess this one up kid," he said, making her tense as soon as she realized what he was talking about. "This guy's a keeper _and _he likes you." She gulped, the nerves returning with a vengeance as she again felt that agitating sickness that she had whenever Quatre was around. And then she was reined back as the true intent of Shino's message was revealed. "Plus, he reeks of money. Not a bad choice when it comes to your situation, eh?"

Makoto huffed indignantly, jerking her shoulder away from a still laughing Shino. He went to place the glass on a shelf, suddenly losing balance as his foot was snagged in an unseen hole. He saved himself in the last moment, looking downward only to raise a perplexed eyebrow.

"What the hell?" He mused, shavings of wood nestling inside a baseball sized hole that looked to have been recently engraved into the flooring. With a gruff scoff he shook off the strange sight and opted to keep it under wraps for the sake of his business. After all, no one liked eating at a place with a rat problem as he was convinced this was the only rational explanation for the misplaced hole.

Meanwhile, offended, Makoto found no trouble marching away towards Quatre who had been silently reading his copy of their Botany textbook. She sat down with a disheveled grunt, pulling out her own work to keep her busy. She couldn't believe Shino would stoop so low as to cancel her shift just so she could possibly swoon the heart of a boy that seemed wealthy by the way he acted and how he spoke. She admitted that she suspected long before today that he was rich, but it was not a deciding factor in the reason why she had developed a slight crush on him. It was for those sweet blue eyes and his caring kindness that she had been inexplicably enamored by him. But now with Shino's shallow observations, she was somewhat deterred from wanting to consider what a relationship might be like with a certain Quatre Winner who was sitting across from her unassuming and staring…

She winced, looking up abruptly as she realized his eyes were on her. Her green eyes met with his genuine gaze and he looked away abashedly with a small blush creeping across his pale skin.

"I didn't mean to be rude," he quickly apologized.

"Oh, it's okay," she muttered back just as fast. "I don't really mind." And it was true, she didn't. In fact, she hadn't really thought anything of it. She picked up a new pencil from her bag and sighed before loudly sharpening it at the table. She opened her book thoughtlessly, gnawing on her newly sharpened pencil in the meantime.

"Anise…" she heard Quatre mutter, her eyes glancing briefly towards him as he looked to be struggling about which picture before him was the plant he had mentioned. Each person was given a set of pictures and labels which were unique to every student, meaning no two had the same plants to identify. From a single glimpse, Makoto had known the answer and temporarily postponed her gnawing to free her mouth so she could speak.

"It's this one," she pointed out. The small white flowers were gathered in umbels, the small petals beautiful in their own right as they stemmed from green roots.

"I see," he said in relief, thanking her profusely. "You wouldn't happen to know what they're good for, would you? I'm sort of at a loss of how to approach the explanation of each plant…"

She smiled, feeling friendly as she shared what she could.

"Well firstly, Karido-san prefers that we explain ideal growing conditions for each plant and then its uses. Some plants are purely for aesthetics whereas others have more practical uses," she said, sounding like an expert. "As for the anise, they grow best in the beginning of Spring with light, well-drained soil. And since they have a taproot, they don't transplant well after being established so you want to be sure and plant them in their final location."

"Really," Quatre replied, sounding intrigued.

Makoto nodded. "Mmhmm. As for its uses, anise is a fairly popular herb used for cooking and even drinks. I hear that some countries even use it to make candies since it tastes somewhat similar to licorice, but I haven't tried it myself. Another useful application of anise is its medical use for treating menstrual cramps—"

She paused, blushing that she had rambled mindlessly for so long and feeling as close to Ami as she ever could be in the sense that she had gone off on a semi-smart tangent about a subject she thoroughly enjoyed.

"Sorry," she said, scratching the back of her head. "That's probably more information than you care to know about…the menstrual part I mean…"

He laughed, a small tingle rippling through her senses as she uninhibitedly gulped.

"I find it fascinating," he had said, looking intently towards her and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"I'm relieved, I suppose," she replied, trying to distract herself from the blue shine of his eyes.

"I've never met anyone with such extensive knowledge about plant life," Quatre admitted. "It is truly impressive."

Makoto shrugged. "Well, I live alone and have gravitated towards plants since they make me feel less abandoned," she shyly admitted, surprising herself with how open she was. "I mean, plants are living organisms that need nurturing just like any pet or human so they sort of keep me company in a way…it probably sounds weird…"

"No, not at all," Quatre replied earnestly. "It actually makes a lot of sense."

"Oh," was her short response. "Thanks."

He subconsciously smiled at the way she timidly looked away, her actions making her much less abrasive than he had originally thought her to be. Her history had told a tale so different from how she represented herself and he found himself wondering which one was the real her. Was it the juvenile record of violence in her past that made up who she was? Or was it this stunning brunette across from him that twiddled her thumbs nervously beneath the table whenever he dared to look her straight in the eyes? He wasn't sure just yet.

"Here you go, appetizers just as I promised." Makoto and Quatre both looked up in surprise, thanking Shino as he nodded and sauntered off.

Makoto reached hungrily for a chip, her hand grazing Quatre's and immediately she retracted. He was stunned, feeling a jolt of electricity rush through his veins in a strange way.

"Sorry," she apologized, now completely reminded of her original anxiety around him and regretting the moment she had let herself be pushed into this unpredicted predicament. Shino would certainly pay for his meddling as soon as she got the chance.

* * *

Usagi yawned, glancing for the umpteenth time at the clock on her pink bedroom wall and sighing. The worse things always happened to her and she momentarily wished she were more like Ami who was studious beyond studious and raked in A's like clockwork. If she was like that, then her mother wouldn't be so hard on her. Why, she might even receive an allowance greater than Shingo's, her younger brother, which she thought was quite cruel now that she looked back on it. Wasn't that a form of favoritism? And didn't most people say that the oldest and prettiest child was always the most favored by the parents?

She frowned, pensively debating the many wrongs of her situation but sighing in the end. Her mother had confined her to her room, taking every electronic device, save her calculator, and demanding that she study all night. Her mother was even thorough enough to purge the hidden collection of comic books tucked between her mattresses and Usagi couldn't help but wish she had listened to Minako's advice to find another, less obvious hiding place for her secret stash entertainment. She sighed. She had wanted to contact the girls and ask about what they discussed but it turned out that the calculator she thought was her communicator was not in fact her communicator which led to the discovery that she had inadvertently misplaced both her watch and calculator. She could just imagine the trouble she'd get from Rei if she found out and it seemed that her only condolence that night would be that Rei's lectures would be pleasantly avoided. Luckily, though, Usagi hadn't misplaced her brooch so that had to account for something...

"Lights out, Usagi. You can't afford another tardy on your record," she heard her mother say through the door.

"Okay mom!" Usagi yelled back, reprieved to finally be allowed to something other than studying.

Without hesitation she shoved her school materials back into her bag and excitedly stripped her clothes from her back as she rummaged for her warm, fuzzy pajamas. She hummed happily, untying her buns and brushing out her long blonde hair by her bed before she flipped the lights off. Her mattress molded itself comfortably to the soft curves along her body and immediately an exhale of relief pressed through her entire body.

Slowly, her eyelids drifted lower and lower, the serene glow of the moonlight through her window casting a gentle light across her blankets as she coasted closer to dreamland. Unable to withhold it any longer, she let her eyes rest, her shutters creaking slightly as her curtains were ruffled by the breeze.

Suddenly alert, Usagi shot up from her bed, eyes agape in anxiety as she glanced to the open window and grabbed the wooden bat her father had insisted she keep by her bed for security reasons. She gulped before walking towards the window, her grip grinding around the stem of the bat as she grew closer to her destination. A quick flash of white scampered across her periphery, her reflexes impressively swift as she swung the bat full force against the fleeting thing. She could feel the weight as it was carried against the motion of her swing, its body eventually flying from the barrel of her bat and colliding with a soft thud to her wall.

"Gotcha!" Usagi squealed with achievement, flipping the light on to see what had crawled unwelcomed into her bedroom. She paled when she found the white flash that had suffered a hard swing to its body and nervously, she hid the bat behind her, awaiting the inevitable scold she would be sure to receive any moment now.

"Usagi!" There it was! "What in the—"

Usagi laughed anxiously, scratching the back of her head apologetically as she tried to kick the bat beneath her bed.

"L-Luna," she stuttered. "I didn't see you there. Oh and Artemis, what're you doing plastered against the wall? You funny little guy…"

She could see that Luna was angry by the cat-like scowl she had among her dark-furred face as she gingerly tried to soothe her feline counterpart and it was evident that Usagi would not be able to weasel her way out this mistake.

Still, she was never one to quit trying and so she said what she could to distract them from her severely dangerous blunder.

"You wouldn't believe the time the girls and I have had while you guys were away."

And perhaps they wouldn't. But unfortunately, Luna wasn't quite ready to let Usagi off the hook just yet.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope this chapter was enjoyable. As always, any comments and/or suggestions are graciously welcomed!

TopazDragon: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you enjoyed Usagi. I think she is such a fun character when she gets to be herself and am glad that the amusement of her assumptive ways has translated into an enjoyable scene! And yep I'm hoping everyone will gradually start to become more involved as the story progresses since the boys are definitely working to find the answers they desire. Ami's curiosity is a great help and I hope to continue that habit successfully later. Again, thank you so much for reading this!

Henio41: Thank you! I'm glad you like it so far and I hope it continues to be entertaining!

Nerf-or-Nothing: Thank you so much for your review! You are always so kind with words and your reviews always make me laugh XD I wish I was a professional then maybe I could slow down with school and make a leisure practice of it lol. I'm glad that the characterizations and the reactions are believeable and reasonable and I do hope this chapter kept it rolling in a nice momentum of sorts! Again, thank you so much for your encouragement and for reading!

varee: Thank you for your review! Description of the world around the characters outside of what exists in their line of sight is pretty hard for me to do. It is a fault that needs work and I'm so glad you brought it to my attention. I do tend to stay within a small, constrained and common setting so it'll be interesting to try and paint a full picture and not just a portion of one. That is going to be a tough challenge but it'll be fun nonetheless ^^ Anyhow, thank you so much for continuing to read and I hope this chapter was slightly more improved than the previous?

Unnamed: Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you like it so far and it is my hope that it continues to be enjoyable. Thank you also for reading! It is truly appreciated!

4Shame


	9. Chapter 9

Given the liberty of explaining what had happened amidst their vacation, Minako had filled in Artemis and Luna without a single forgotten word that had passed in their meetings prior to their return. Even Usagi received a new bit of information as they sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor anxiously awaiting the cherished opinions of their feline guides. Baffled and slightly speechless, Luna and Artemis both paced the room with so much vigor that the carpet was threatening to start unraveling beneath their nervously clawed paws.

"So," Minako asked cautiously. "What do you think?"

"I think we chose a hell of a time to take a vacation," Artemis blurted with an unenthused frown.

"Artemis," Luna reprimanded with a stern look. "Language!"

He laughed. "Honestly Luna, I think there are more important things to be concerned about other than language."

Usagi and Minako had to nod about that one.

The black feline, however, was unconvinced as she found herself seated on her hind legs. The situation was certainly unbelievable, but she knew she couldn't spend too much time lingering on that thought. They needed to make a plan before things got too out of hand and she was relieved to see that the girls had already taken the initiative despite their absence.

She sighed.

"I think you girls have quite a," she paused with a gulp. "_unique_ approach."

Usagi and Minako exhaled and shrugged, not completely deterred by Luna's hesitant response. Unique was better than nothing, they reasoned.

Artemis too seemed a little less apprehensive by her statement.

"So are we going through with it?" Minako asked, no longer able to wait for Luna's final decision.

"Well," Luna started. She scratched her head for the umpteenth time, unable to completely scrape away the uneasy feeling she had nestling in the pit of her chest.

The plan seemed well thought out but sometimes even the most strategized moves ended sourly.

"What do you think, Artemis?" She asked in frustration, not quite willing to approve quite yet.

"Huh?" He grunted, a bit off guard. His tail wagged from nervousness, but it quickly ceased as he thought it out with a shrug. "Well, to be honest, I think the outers are better equipped to shake off these police investigators should they start following them. Our girls are capable but they can't exactly act freely…they've got too many civilian ties to family and friends. Plus, the outers are graduated, freelance artists and self-employed. They don't have set schedules that require them to be somewhere every day of every hour…"

"That is certainly true," Luna agreed, nodding slowly despite the fact that she still hadn't been able to release the horrible feeling she had about all this. "But to push such stress onto them seems a bit unfair."

Usagi frowned, slightly ashamed that she had considered such an idea without thinking how it would affect the outers. Even Minako was a bit deterred, her lips curving into an indecisive pout.

"The outers are reasonable girls," Artemis argued. "They'll understand. Besides, it's not like we can force them to do anything. We'd still have to ask first."

"But," Usagi interjected hesitantly. "They would do anything if I asked them to."

She seemed guilty after that, her eyes cast to the floor as though she were responsible for the most heinous assault. Minako placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, a deep sigh escaping her lips.

"It wouldn't be fair to put something like this on them," Usagi slightly whispered.

The room went quiet, Luna and Artemis both exchanging glances as Minako sat in contemplation. Sure this plan was somewhat intrusive…but wasn't it sort of a necessary measure to take?

"Well," Luna cleared her throat, earning everyone's attention. "How about this. Artemis or myself, perhaps both, can go talk to the outers and get some suggestions of how they would handle this."

"And if they suggest using themselves as bait," Artemis chimed in.

"Then maybe it wouldn't be as shameful to impose on them after all," Minako finished.

The three of them were on board immediately but their eyes strayed to Usagi who sat quietly with her hands in her lap. She looked up and smiled meekly when she realized they were awaiting her opinion.

Normally in this type of situation, she would look to someone else for confirmation be it Mamoru, Ami or even Rei. But mainly, she would sit and wonder what it is Mamoru would say to her if she were to ask for his opinion.

His support always made her feel safe. Even if the world was screaming she would fail, she was comforted by his embrace or by the fully bloomed red rose that always appeared at the most desperate time when she had almost given up. She was surprised to suddenly be reminded of him and it hurt that no matter how many times she looked to her side, she wouldn't see him there.

She shook her head. Moping was never productive and her friends certainly didn't deserve to have a sullen princess leading them. With a decisive nod and a reaffirming smile, she made her choice.

"I think that would be the best thing to do," she said.

The others smiled back at her and it was a relief to realize that though Mamoru wasn't there, she still had her dearest friends around to look after her.

"Splendid," Luna replied. "We'll leave first thing this evening when everyone's asleep. Or rather, one of us will leave tonight."

Artemis nodded in agreement.

"Well, now that that's settled," Minako chimed in relief. "What d'you say to getting some ice cream? I'm starved!"

"You know I never turn down food!" Usagi cheered, jumping from her position on the floor with an accomplished fist pump.

"Ice cream sounds like a great idea," Luna agreed, finally picking herself up from her hind legs.

"Yeah," Artemis said, now suddenly reminded of a question he had neglected to ask at Minako's first arrival.

He watched as the young blonde stretched out with a huge yawn, his eyes trailing down her sundress to the loose bandages waving out just below the hem of her dress. He had a feeling she didn't want to talk about it since she hadn't broken into a tell-all story when she saw him but his curiosity was killing him. Minako wasn't really a clumsy girl so injury didn't occur to her without a pressing reason.

"So," he nonchalantly started, trying his best to sound discreet. "What happened to your leg, Minako?"

Her shoulders knotted up so quickly that even Usagi had noticed her stiff reaction, her lips curving into a smirk as she snickered into her hand. Luna too was alarmed, her curiosity immediately piqued.

"Nothing," Minako hastily answered with a slight squeak in her voice.

Luna and Artemis exchanged unconvinced glances.

"Minako's got a hot bod on her radar," Usagi whispered to the pair with an amused wink.

"Usagi-chan!" Minako all but shouted.

"What?" She replied innocently. "It's true!"

"It is not," Minako refuted.

Artemis let out a little scoff. "By the sounds of it, looks like Usagi might be onto something."

Minako frowned at him, huffing indignantly in the process.

"Whatever," she groaned as she tried to rub away the rising migraine in her head.

She left Usagi's room without another word on the subject, leaving three perfectly amused friends behind her.

"So is he new to town or has he always been there just not noteworthy until now?" Artemis asked without another wasted minute.

Usagi grinned.

"Oh he's new," she answered. "As a matter of fact, we got five new students while you were away and all of them are hunks," she winked.

"Really," Luna sounded with interest. Artemis looked at her suspiciously and she rolled her eyes. "It's just that newcomers in this area aren't always of the natural sort," she explained. "Especially when they come up in groups."

"Is that so?" He replied, not quite convinced by her explanation.

"Yes, it is," she insisted with an unenthused frown.

Usagi merely watched on the wayside, waiting on the impending argument between the two as she inquisitively listened for Luna's reasoning.

"Give me one example," Artemis challenged.

Usagi snickered at that. Artemis had turned somewhat possessive over Luna after her many independent ventures without him which attributed greatly to the reason they both chose to go on vacation together. It was to "rekindle the spark" which Artemis was afraid had gone out but Luna often denied it.

He was a bit paranoid and Usagi couldn't blame him. After all, Luna had spent many days chasing after a human man and his ideals of a moon princess but she insisted she was just concerned because he had been unnaturally sick and she thought she should help him since he was so kind to her. Artemis accepted it, but in the back of his mind he wondered if he had just been a last resort since Luna was obviously hindered by her cat-like form.

The only time Luna had ever been concerned about the connection between Artemis and herself was when Diana had appeared claiming that Artemis was her father. In those moments when she was unaware of who the mother was, she had felt the strain and realized just how much he mattered, but sometimes she had trouble expressing that outwardly.

She was simply much more reserved in comparison to him and her personal feelings had always come second to her responsibility as a guide to the senshi. Hence, she didn't always believe that developing her personal life with Artemis was quite as important as protecting the universe and furthermore, Usagi herself.

Luna groaned in detestation but responded nonetheless.

"Ann and Allan," she stated.

"That's one," Artemis hesitantly agreed. "But that's hardly enough to support your theory."

Luna laughed. "Fine," she said. "Max Stanfield."

"He wasn't a student!" Artemis claimed.

"But he was a newcomer that hung around the school more often than he should have," Luna retorted. "We really should've picked up on his negative affiliation sooner," she drifted. "I admit I am a bit ashamed about missing that one."

"But he turned out to be a decent guy," Usagi interjected. "So you're forgiven!" She smiled.

Luna couldn't hold back her brief laugh.

"Alright," Artemis said. "I'll give you that one. But I bet you can't think of another—"

"The starlights," Luna interrupted with a smug grin. "And don't you even try to say that they don't count because they're good guys. I clearly remember stating that newcomers in this area aren't always _natural,_ that goes both ways."

Artemis grumbled, his incoherent murmurings an indication that she had made her case. A broad smile spread across Luna's accomplished features and she watched as Usagi comfortingly stroked Artemis' back in consolation.

"Artemis, you really shouldn't pick fights with Luna," Usagi advised. "Nobody ever wins against her." She stated in a matter-of-fact way.

"Are you guys coming, or what?" came in a voice that had surprised them all.

Shocked, the three looked to the door to see Minako standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Did you guys not hear me when I said I was starving?" She pouted.

"Oops," Usagi apologized, knowing first-hand how torturous it was to be kept from food when starved. "I nearly forgot."

"That's a surprise," Luna muttered to the side.

Surprisingly enough, this seemed to make Artemis a bit more lax as he waved his tail.

"Well then, let's go before I hurt somebody," Minako ordered, again disappearing through the hall before the others.

"Right behind ya!" Usagi cheered as she rushed out. "Hey Minako! Maybe if we're lucky we'll run into Heero, right?"

Luna and Artemis could hear Minako groaning from down the steps and they couldn't help but laugh.

"I only take it cause it's you," Minako grumbled. "If it was anyone else I'd-"

The two felines weren't able to hear the rest of that statement. Artemis felt a bit awkward sitting there and couldn't bring himself to look Luna in the eye. He was sometimes paranoid, yes. But that's just the kind of effect she had on him. Eventually he would learn to cope or fix it.

He jumped in surprise when he felt a small kiss on his cheek. His white fir turned a pale shade of pink as he turned to face his feline counterpart.

"L-luna?" He questioned.

She smiled.

"I may not say it as often as I should," she said. "But there has never and will never be another soul for me but you."

That alone made him light up like a megawatt light in a dark alley. Luna strolled away with a warm smile to follow after the girls and Artemis wasn't far behind her.

* * *

Rei did her best to try and rub the headache from her throbbing head but just couldn't manage. The situation at hand was frustrating as her sanity was tested every second spent while in _his_ presence. He hadn't done anything openly to get her this way. It was simply the way he acted. He was always trying to make puns and joke about things that really shouldn't have been joked about.

A grieving woman had come to the shrine, seeking comfort and guidance after the recent passing of her husband. Against Rei's wishes, her grandfather kept encouraging their newest refugee to go console her. She knew from the start it would be a disaster but her grandfather, stubborn and old, would not listen to her pleas.

"Grandpa, I think one of us should handle this. Not _him_," she said with distaste.

"Now, now Rei, as my apprentice he's gotta learn sometime! Go on son, try and help her."

So there he went, walking hesitantly towards the whimpering woman with that sheepish grin of his. He looked back with uncertainty, wearing big clueless cobalt eyes as Rei stood indifferent with a frown. Her grandfather, however, kept making hand motions for him to continue towards the woman and with a sigh he shrugged and did as was encouraged.

He took a seat next to her and made conversation. At first, Rei was almost starting to believe that he may have been getting somewhere, as the woman started to smile and nod towards him. But it was short lived.

Rei was unfortunate in missing the event as she decided to retreat back into the shrine while he continued to talk. But soon after, she was followed by his beaten presence to receive treatment by direction of her grandfather.

"Hn," Rei scoffed. "I figured this would be the result since you have a brain the size of a peanut. But what in the world did you say to make her attack you like this? Even I couldn't be so cruel."

Rei glanced at him for a moment as she continued to dress his wounds only to earn another shrug.

"I don't know," he said. "One minute we were talking about her married life and the memories she had with her husband and then the next thing I know, she's swinging her purse at me. I swear she must've had a brick in that thing."

Rei stifled a laugh, reaching for gauze as one hand placed pressure on his shoulder. He had acquired a number of nicks and bruises but nothing that was too severe.

"I'm certain you deserved it though," Rei remarked with a smirk.

"Well," he admitted. "Maybe. I was trying to look at the positives and told her that with her husband dead, she could test out some other flavors."

"So that's why she assaulted you."

"Nah, she laughed at that. I think it might have been what I said after. She said she could never be with another man after him and that he'd be heartbroken if she did. But I told her what's it matter, he's dead."

"Then that's it," Rei insisted to which he shook his head in disconfirmation.

"No, that's not it either," he sighed. "She tried to tell me that there was an afterlife and that he was watching over her. I then proceeded to tell her that I didn't believe in an afterlife and that if I did and I was dead, I certainly wouldn't spend my time stalking my living wife like a creep."

"So that's why."

"No, there's more."

"God, Duo. What else did you say?" Rei questioned as she rolled her eyes.

"I told her that if I was her departed husband hanging out in the afterlife, I would look for some other tail to follow…tail I could actually touch…"

"Wow," Rei said in disapproval, unable to find better words to describe her thoughts.

"Yeah, I forgot I was talking to a woman."

"It makes me wanna hit you."

"I figured it would," he laughed. "But please don't." He quickly pleaded, lifting his arms to guard his face.

Rei shook her head, hiding the urge to laugh and forcefully pulling him back so she could finish with his battle scars.

"You know, that was her husband you were talking about," she said as she was now done.

Duo scoffed, grabbing a clean shirt to pull over his now dressed wounds.

"Yeah. So? She was married to him "til death do us part" so technically he's a single man, which most people seem to forget. It's only logical that he would move on. Besides, I was just trying to encourage her to do the same."

"Mmhmm," Rei hummed unconvinced.

Duo seemed offended by her lack of conviction in believing him so he felt the need to spew out more justifications to prove his innocence.

"Well, it's her fault since she brought up the afterlife. I was prepared to stop at I don't believe in an afterlife."

Rei scoffed.

"You're still unbelievable."

"And also good looking," he winked, not able to refrain from the opportunity.

She snorted, choosing not to respond verbally to that statement. Yet somehow, she couldn't flat out deny him…

With a forceful sigh, she gathered the contents of her first aid kit as Duo stared into the mirror examining his bandages.

"You're pretty good at this," he complimented, rotating his shoulder in a circular motion to see how much leeway he had. "Do it often?"

"When occasion calls for it," Rei answered tersely, quickly dismissing her thoughts as memories of not so kind senshi battles rushed through.

"Occasions like what?" Duo queried, stopping his motions and watching her closely as if he suspected this would be a defining moment where he finally caught a break in the case.

Rei looked fixedly at him, her amethyst eyes cold and unreadable, almost like an unruly haired friend that he knew so well. It was obvious to him then that this was a topic she'd rather not discuss and he wondered why.

"This is a temple," she stated plainly, packing up the last of her first aid kit. "You'd be surprised by the number of injured people that pile in here instead of a hospital. We tried to redirect them elsewhere but eventually it just happened so often that it became easier to learn how to treat them yourself it possible. Severe cases were picked up by an ambulance."

"Really?" Duo asked, genuinely intrigued. He caught the new robes that Rei tossed his way and watched as she gathered his sullied uniform into a small ball in her arms.

"Yes," she answered unenthused. She made her way through the halls to the laundry and tossed Duo's ragged uniform. She would have to stitch that back together when she had the time.

"Tell me, what was your most severe case?" Duo asked behind her, still following her as he clumsily tried to dress himself.

She rolled her eyes.

"Why would it benefit you to know?" she asked keenly, halting immediately and turning to face him with arms folded across her chest.

He shrugged with his lopsided smile, his robes in disarray as the white fabric hung sloppily over one shoulder with the other arm dragging across the floor to leave one shoulder exposed. "Just curious," he innocently replied.

There was something endearing about his disheveled robes and his harmless smile that Rei couldn't place. She intended on being annoyed by his persistence but it seemed her intentions had been washed away by the boyish blue color of his eyes and his slightly unkempt hair that had stray strands of chestnut poking out of his usually neat braid. She could see his skin clearly and a sharp pain shot through her when she suddenly realized the many scars across his chest.

He seemed to notice, as he hastily reconvened his attempt at properly wrapping his uniform around his shoulders. She frowned, wondering to herself where those scars could have come from.

"The most severe case," she said as she stepped forward and neutrally offered her assistance. With well-practiced hands, she straightened up his tunic, her eyes never straying from her fingers. "Will not help you with anything you need to do here, so why share?"

She smirked, stepping away as soon as she finished tying his tunic.

He laughed, somewhat inquisitive as to why she seemed less volatile today.

"Thanks," he smiled in reference to her help.

"Don't mention it," she stoically replied. She walked off to put away her first aid kit and left Duo staring behind her.

"Ah, there you are!" Grandpa yelled after throwing open a sliding door. "I see Rei's patched you up. Ready to get back to work?"

Duo laughed, turning on his heels and nodding.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Gramps!" He said with a salute.

"That's the spirit!" Grandpa said in approval.

Duo trailed after him, eventually catching up and listening as Grandpa rattled on about his old plans with his last apprentice.

"We once ran a fitness class," Grandpa informed. "Rei never approved and wouldn't help but Yuuichiro was always so eager! I have a feeling that you might be excited about that business venture too…"

Duo scratched his head.

"I don't know Gramps," he said. "But exercise isn't exactly my idea of an exciting business venture. I'm more of a relaxation kind of guy…"

Rei silently listened in on their conversation behind the rice paper doors and laughed at her grandfather's reaction.

"Well we can't sell laziness," Grandpa grouched. "What kind of apprentice are you?"

Duo laughed, waving his hands in his defense and slightly lowering his voice.

"You're right gramps, we can't sell laziness," he confirmed. "But we can sell relaxation. I give a pretty good back rub if you catch my drift," he said with a wink.

Rei's smile disappeared immediately. She didn't like where this was going and she knew without looking that her grandfather was probably reeling with potential ads and the perspective customers he could acquire. She loved her grandfather dearly, but sometimes he had a tendency to be a bit perverted.

Before she could even step out from concealment, another voice had interrupted them.

"A spa at a Shinto temple?" Came a monotonous voice that elicited chills in any person's spine. "It's a bit sacrilegious, isn't it?"

Duo and Grandpa both looked up in surprise to catch sight of an unruly haired boy with cold blue eyes. He was standing in stressed blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt with his hands tucked away in his pockets.

"E-exactly," Grandpa stuttered. "It would be sacrilegious. Duo what were you thinking?"

The American boy scoffed, looking to Grandpa then back to his comrade. He could tell Grandpa was disappointed at having to shoot down such a promising venture but he shirted the blame without any hard feelings.

"Let's blame it on cultural differences," he shrugged. "I mean, how should I know what's appropriate at a Shinto shrine? I'm American."

"Research wouldn't hurt," Rei interjected as she finally stepped out where they could see her.

She eyed the newcomer curiously and catalogued his features for later dissection. Not only was he level-headed, but he was also quite a looker.

"Duo has no excuse," she heard him say. "He's been in this country long enough. He should know better by now."

"Well look at this," Duo huffed. "I'm getting attacked from both sides. You guys didn't purposely plan this ambush, did you?"

Grandpa scoffed, putting his hand to cover his mouth so he could discreetly whisper something to his unfortunate apprentice.

"Boy, these two are a match-made in heaven," he whispered. "I never thought there was another stone-cold type like Rei out there in existence."

"Right?" Duo whispered back. "I felt the same way with Heero. Then when I met Rei I was just shocked."

Grandpa nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright Duo, I'll tell you what. The only way to avoid this ice bath is by a quick and unexpected exit. Create a diversion and I'll sneak off. Then I'll call you and give you an excuse to get away."

"Sounds like a good plan, Gramps," Duo replied with a smirk.

It was all together completely mind-boggling for Rei as to whether or not her grandfather and Duo had realized that they stood between her and the unknown brunette. Their whispers weren't even quiet and their "full-proof" plan to escape had been broadcast to both "ice sculptures", as they so kindly coined.

Watching them both engaged in what was intended to be a _secret_ conference, was both embarrassing and unbelievable. Sometimes Rei wondered if her grandfather did these types of things just to get on her nerves or if he genuinely thought he was being inconspicuous. Either way, the situation was simply ghastly.

_Just let them go on like you didn't hear them_, she thought to herself. _It's not like it would hurt anybody to allow them an escape._

She looked up when she saw Duo straighten himself up to full height. Then, as planned, her grandfather made a loud excuse about leaving on a stove in the kitchen and rushed off to fix it. Afterwards, Duo pretended to try and make conversation with Rei and his better known comrade before rushing off at Grandpa's call.

"Coming!" He said with a smile. He even went as far as to apologize for not being able to complete their conversation.

Shaking her head, Rei watched him scamper off into the temple.

"They're both a lot alike."

Rei glanced over to the stranger and nodded. She remembered seeing him with Duo but she never actually took the time to find out who he was. Frankly, she wasn't interested in knowing nor did she care since he associated himself with the American.

"I wish they weren't," she mentioned. "Handling one person like that is fine but two is just torture."

He laughed, a gesture that was somewhat shocking to her given he seemed to be a stoic type of guy. A grin crept across her lips and she turned to him.

"Hino Rei," she introduced. "I don't believe we've had a proper introduction and I apologize for my grandfather's behavior. Duo's behavior, on the other hand, is not something I'm willing take responsibility for."

"That's understandable," he smirked. "Yuy Heero."

"It's nice to meet you," she bowed. "Was there something that I could help you with?"

"Actually," he admitted. "I came by to see if Duo was available, but it's clear that he's preoccupied at the moment."

"So it would seem," Rei laughed, again reminded of Duo and Grandpa's unskilled plan of escape. Later on she would probably look back on it and laugh but at the moment, she was still caught up in disbelief that they would act so much like…children. "If you'd like," she said, almost immediately second guessing herself as she hesitated to continue. "You could come inside for some tea until he's free."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Rei frowned; inwardly scolding herself for putting such an offer out there to someone she had just barely met.

"Not with those two hiding in the kitchen," he finished.

She looked up in surprise. Did that mean…?

"Would it be too much if we went to the corner shop down the street?"

She was stunned for a brief second before she regained her cool composure and pushed out a smile that wasn't too broad but not too fake either.

"That would be fine," she answered.

Fortunately, she was already in street clothes so she didn't have to go back inside to change. Heero turned towards the steps and paused, waiting silently for her to catch up. Rei's heart took a leap. He was quiet, withheld and for the first time in a while, she felt interested. Perhaps having Duo around wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

It was that feeling again. The one that would sneak up on her at any given moment when she least expected it. Or perhaps, she had expected it, but she could never seem to cope with it well enough. It was a wave of doubt intermingled with paranoia and she could never escape its poisonous effects no matter how hard she tried to logically reason it away.

What if they did find them out? How would they react? Would the senshi be able to do anything about it?

She would immediately shake her head, the fear and anxiety of the potential outcomes constantly stabbing at her brain and begging for attention. She reasoned it was no use to think on those things but sometimes it was hard to resist especially when a suited official would occasionally pop into some of her classrooms and pull students one by one.

Her breath would always hold as her heart pounded in her chest, waiting to see if they had caught on somehow. Ridiculous theories of their unraveling would spawn like ants from an ant hill and it wasn't until after her heart rate had decreased that she realized her mind was verging on the brink of insanity.

To the outside world, she was still the same intellectual prodigy, but to herself, she was slowly becoming a ball of tension just waiting to burst.

She supposed that was probably the key reason behind her last minute decision to be a volunteer at the orphanage this weekend. She had heard from her peers that they planned to visit the beach and though she had a pile of essays and decryption codes that needed analyzing, she inexplicably jumped at the opportunity.

After all, Rei was busy with temple work, Makoto was tied up with work and Usagi and Minako were preoccupied with Luna and Artemis' arrival from vacation. She would have gladly gone to greet her feline friends along with her much more human comrades but the idea of fueling her sporadic panic attacks with more hearsay and scheming didn't sit well with her. Thus, her options of temporarily escaping the pressures of this unwanted investigation were slim. Albeit, homework did usually distract her from even the most nationally discussed topic on global television, but she doubted it would be able to save her from this particular time…

"Is this seat taken?"

Ami's bright blue eyes looked up curiously, only to be surprised by the stern-faced Chinese boy that had seemed to pop up at the most random times.

"No, not at all," she quickly answered, scooting closer to the window to allow him more space.

"Thank you," she heard him mutter as he silently seated himself next to her.

She gulped, glancing subconsciously in his direction. Studying people had been an automatic practice for her. So unabashedly and perhaps even without realizing, her eyes had traced his every outline from habit.

Her father had told her that it was her artist's eye that pushed her to examine people so thoroughly. He said that even as a young girl she would sit and stare for hours at a person of interest, watching how they acted, how they walked and even how often they chose to swipe a hand through their hair. Her mother always argued that it was the inner doctor that motivated her to study people so explicitly but Ami learned from a young age (mainly by observation) that siding with either one of them would mean more trouble for her. So, she would always charmingly admit that her knack for watching people so closely came from both fascination of beauty and practicality. That seemed to appease both her parents but that had been so long ago and her habit of studying had now been so automatic that it needed no explanation. Not for Ami, the girl who was never unaware and forgiven for her strange habits given that she was a proven genius.

She observed how regular he seemed with black board shorts lined with white stitching and a blue short-sleeved Hawaiian button-up. Even seeing his feet in flip-flops was somewhat enlightening as he appeared no differently than any other boy on the bus. Somehow she had mentally catalogued him as someone that was closed off and serious, a bright contrast to a boy sitting next to her in somewhat colorful and loose beachwear. She would have definitely suspected him to be a speedo type man for its sleek appearance and structured shape, but she had been pleasantly surprised.

Her cheeks reddened when her gaze met his. He had a disturbed frown, a single black eyebrow raised up suspiciously as she shot her eyes to the front of the bus.

"Sorry," she mumbled hastily, her hands clinging tightly to the small backpack in her lap.

"Don't mention it," Wufei grumbled.

He let her off pretty easy, a habit that had bothered him recently. Usually he'd be much harsher but his target seemed a bit delicate so he hadn't wanted to ward her off by being too brash. Sometimes he wished that he had Rei as a target instead. Then he wouldn't have to censor himself so often like he had felt was necessary around Ami.

Duo had told him that Rei was a natural spitfire. So Wufei imagined that if any of these girls could handle his bluntness it would be Rei and possibly even that brunette that was rumored to have a fighting spirit.

"What's your name?"

Wufei looked up at the question to spot a large-eyed boy who was peering at him from the seat in front of him. His sprite brown eyes were the only things he could see apart from the spiky black hair that stuck out from beneath his red baseball cap.

"Wufei," he answered plainly.

"And your name?" He asked, his eyes darting to the blunette beside him.

"Ami," she smiled. "What's your name?"

"Ichi," he said before disappearing back into his seat.

"Ichi," Ami had muttered soon after, most likely attaching the name to a picture of those big brown eyes, black bangs and red baseball cap.

Wufei simply frowned, taking out a textbook and skimming the chapters.

For a while the ride was quiet save for the chatter between different people. Wufei and Ami's aisle, however, was completely silent which let the song being sung right in front of them easily drift in through their ears.

_Wufei and Ami sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_

_First comes love, then comes—_

Big brown eyes shot back up to see if they were listening. When they had not acknowledged him, he knew they hadn't heard him quite yet so he returned to his seat with a smug grin.

_Wufei and Ami sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_

_First comes love,_

_Then comes marriage, _

_Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!_

_Sucking his thumb,_

_Peeing his pants,_

_Doing the hula, hula dance!_

Ami had blushed when she heard the obscene taunt but she hadn't known how to react and instead chose to ignore it. After all, giving him attention would only provoke him to continue. Wufei also shared the same thought as his hands tightened over his textbook.

He shouldn't have been bothered by child's play but he was never really that good with handling kids. Next time, however, he'd be sure to give the kids a false name so if they intended to use it in a stupid song, he wouldn't care.

_WUFEI AND AMI! SITTING IN A TREE!_

_K-I-S-S-I—Ack!_

"Wufei!" Ami shouted, earning the attention of a majority of the passengers. She shot up from her seat, her hands squeezing on Wufei's shoulders. She had a pretty impressive grip, Wufei noted.

"Geez, it was just a joke!" Ichi thoughtlessly claimed as the jet-black-haired Chinese man gripped him by the collar of his t-shirt.

"A joke that you will pay for."

"Wufei," Ami repeated. "Please let him go."

"You would stand for this injustice?" Wufei shot back at her and she frowned.

"Com'on Wu-man, it was nothing personal!" Ichi exclaimed. Ichi paused for a moment, his eyes glancing upward as if he had suddenly thought of something.

Wufei could see his mouth moving as he silently sounded out something to himself. It must've been something important because it distracted him from the fact that he was being held by an angry Chinese man.

"Wu-man," he whispered and then suddenly his big brown eyes grew even larger with mirth. "Wu-man! You're a woman! HAHA!"

Ami sweat-dropped as she noticed Wufei's irritation growing at an exponential rate. It was clear that brute force wasn't enough to scare this kid into submission but Wufei still found it hard not to at least retaliate in a brute manner. Besides, a violent attack on a harmless child wasn't a very honorable picture. Hesitantly, Wufei released the kid and flopped back into his seat.

Ami was still standing as she attempted to scold the laughing child who was now stuck on calling Wufei a woman.

"Why did your parents call you a woman? Aren't you a boy?"

Wufei now remembered why he hated kids, and Duo for that matter.

Somehow, Ami had managed to reason with the kid and stop him from continuing in pointing out how Wufei's name could be modified to question his gender. She had even managed to persuade him not to sing that wretched song about kissing in a tree. All in all, Ami had earned some brownie points from the boiling Chinese man just to her left.

She sat down with an exhausted sigh and thankfully didn't say anything to him. Another thing that he actively hated was when women sat down and tried to console you with useless words. It was in those times that he was relieved that Ami was a woman of few words.

"Thanks," he muttered, despite himself.

Ami was a bit taken aback, but she nodded nonetheless.

"No problem," she said with a meek smile. She returned her gaze to the window and the silence returned to their aisle but it was short lived.

_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves!_

_Everybody's nerves!_

_Everybody's nerves!_

_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves!_

_And this is how it goes!_

_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves!_

_Everybody's nerves…_

Ami laughed to the right of him and his irritation was momentarily staved by curiosity. He looked to catch her amused smile just below her small pointed nose. She was delicate indeed, but he was surprised by the other strong features she possessed. For instance, her constantly working mind that had shone through her bright blue eyes and her ability to calmly speak to mischievous children.

"It's better than the other song, right?" She said.

Wufei scoffed, tearing his eyes away from her with a faint smirk.

The song had a contagious effect. One voice turned into two which multiplied to four and tripled to twelve. Before anyone had even known the dangers of its infectious tune, the whole bus was caught singing the catchy tune at the tops of their lungs. Wufei would never admit to it outside of that moment and would deny participating if it was ever brought up in another setting but rest assured his lips were moving as he joined in on the chant.

Ami wasn't quite as loud as her neighbors but she sang along cheerfully. Ichi was so enthused to have started such a revolution that he had even stood on his seat and directed them with his invisible baton.

It was a relieving scene to be able to take part in, on Ami's behalf, and she was glad she chose to tag along on this trip. Even Wufei, who was just on the verge of executing an assassination had felt strangely relaxed. He never understood such carefree things but he was starting to understand now.

As the bus pulled up to the beach, the passengers were each slightly disappointed but thrilled nonetheless. The singing was called to silence as they unloaded the bus and Ichi slowly approached Wufei and Ami with his hands in his pockets. The two managed to call a truce and it was entertaining to see Ichi upon Wufei's shoulders as they marched alongside Ami to the beach.

* * *

The task force's methods weren't always agreeable. This fact alone was why Quatre had spent so much of his time with them so he could observe what they were planning.

A particularly unsettling revelation had reached him when he was led underground to a lab that had been inactive until recently. He eyes scoured the room of scientists with suspicion, his hands calmly placed in the pocket of his slacks as he walked around with his guide.

Trowa had been here first and suggested that he might want to see what was going on in there so Quatre of course listened. It was natural for him to be uneasy when he saw rooms of scientists that were busy at work but supposedly this time would elicit a much more anxious filled feeling than usual, or at least, that was the notion that Quatre had received after speaking with Trowa.

Heero, Duo and Wufei were aware that something might be happening underground, but they weren't quite as concerned at finding out what it might be as Quatre and Trowa were. They were more interested in finding out if this newest mission was even worth working. Quatre shared those same inquiries, but he didn't think it was wise to ignore the police's strenuous efforts.

"Right this way, Mr. Winner."

The young blond nodded, following his guide quietly as he scanned the halls for anything noteworthy. He was brought to a room that had a glass window directly in front of him. Machines lined the wall to his left with the central monitor mounted in the corner next to the seamless mirror. A man had his backed turned to him as he stared at that same monitor, his spectacles sliding up his nose as he scrunched his brow.

He glanced behind him for a brief moment and did a double take, immediately smiling as he realized he had company.

"One of the field agents, right?" He asked.

"Yes," Quatre affirmed with a nod.

"It's nice to meet you," he said. "It's not often that field agents want to look at all this science. They usually just want to see the reports instead."

"I like to be more interactive," Quatre replied with a smile. "Paperwork is so impersonal."

The doctor laughed.

"You've got an old soul for such a young boy," he praised. "I'm quite impressed."

"Thank you," Quatre replied. He sauntered over to the window to peer in on the room on the other side. It was nothing but pitch-black.

"You're confused, I can see it."

Quatre glanced his side towards the doctor and nodded.

"It's that obvious?"

The old man scoffed. "If you weren't confused then I'd be a little worried. I mean it's all pitch-black in there."

Quatre laughed. "So the specimen isn't in there," he inferred.

"No, no, no," the doctor hastily responded. "It's in there."

"Really," Quatre said, his confusion returning. He looked back into the window, trying his hardest to find where it might be.

"The specimen shuts down when exposed to light. Even the dim lighting in this room might be adversely affecting it but the technicians don't seem to think that's a problem."

"Then do you have night vision surveillance cameras on it?" Quatre asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope," the doctor answered. "The specimen doesn't respond well to technology either. On many occasions its swallowed up our probes or attempted to hack into our mainframes when cameras were put on it. It's a very intelligent creature with curious properties but we haven't been successful in figuring out how to manipulate it for our own use. At this point, we're just detaining it so that it doesn't completely take over our systems." He let out an amused chuckle, one that disturbed Quatre.

With a wry expression, Quatre could feel himself getting slightly irritated. Such a powerful specimen shouldn't be contained in a station surrounded by so many civilians. It was an unnecessary risk and he wondered if anyone else in this lab had thought the same.

"Why is it here?" He asked somewhat brashly.

The doctor could sense the ire in his voice and cleared his throat as though he were trying to be more serious.

"Well, there's an ongoing theory that the reason why the senshi haven't shown themselves is because their usual M.O. is missing."

"Which is?" Quatre questioned.

"They only come out for supernatural attackers."

"But there's footage of Sailor Moon stopping a bank robbery and saving two falling men," Quatre stated with a stern expression.

"Yes, that's true," the doctor noted. "but there's something off about all that. Something that doesn't fit."

"And do you know what that something is?" Quatre queried.

"N-not quite," the doctor stuttered, now a bit alarmed by Quatre's aggressive tone.

"Then all you're going off of is a hunch?"

This question seemed to stall the doctor as he wiped his clammy hands against his white lab coat.

"You do realize that housing a dangerous specimen beneath a well-populated city is trouble waiting to happen, don't you?"

"But the specimen is completely detained. Besides its not capable of actually harming people."

Quatre huffed, running a hand through his blond mane in an attempt to calm down. He could sense the doctor's anxiety rising and though he felt justified in spurring such a reaction, he still hadn't intended on putting him completely on edge.

"Then how exactly is this specimen of any use to you?"

The doctor seemed excited by that question as he jumped at the opportunity to explain. Quatre carefully watched him as he scurried to his machines and typed various strings of code with an enthusiastic push on the enter key.

"We've tested the specimen's energy signature and matched it to a foreign signature that was captured four years ago by accident. You see, these energy signatures used to pop up all the time but nobody really knew what to make of them so they were ignored. However, the time of the energy signatures perfectly correlate to the first appearances of supernatural creatures that have earned a lot of different names in this city." He explained.

"So…" Quatre prompted.

"So," the doctor said as he continued to rapidly type in commands. "We believe that these energy signatures were also captured by the senshi and that's how they knew where to find their attackers."

"Hn," Quatre scoffed, now able to pick up on where this might be going. "So you plan to broadcast this specimen's energy signature and lure the senshi out."

"Precisely!" The doctor exclaimed.

"If you've had this technology all along," Quatre continued. "Then why have you wasted time with this arduous investigation?"

"Well, it's simple, really," the doctor shrugged. "We're running out of time."

"How is that?" Quatre asked.

"The senshi are graduating," he said as though it were common knowledge. "They might leave us and then how are we supposed to find them? We know they've stayed in this area because they are young. Any adult that frequently disappears to fight crime would immediately be noticed but if you're a child then it isn't quite as easy to spot. We've always known the senshi were young but it hasn't been until recently that we've been able to accurately assume that they are seniors. Maybe not all of them, but a majority is."

"Still," Quatre said. "Why not emit the signal now and get this all over with?"

The doctor turned to him with a perplexed expression. "Haven't I already explained?"

"No, you haven't," Quatre sternly expressed.

"Oh, well," he said as he scratched his head. "The specimen is weak. It's incapable of sending a strong enough signal that can trigger the sensors outside this room. We haven't been able to magnify its energy signature to a loud enough frequency to cover large distances so we can't really use it effectively. So for now, we're gonna have to rely on you field agents and your detective work."

He winked towards Quatre but the young blond wasn't too keen on returning his playful gesture. Awkwardly, the doctor returned his attention to his machines with a shiver.

"Anyways," he murmured. "I can show you something cool."

He hadn't asked Quatre if he wanted to see it, but Quatre reasoned he might as well stay. The machines hummed at the conclusion of his statement, the monitor on the wall now displaying frequency waves.

"With a little radiation, the specimen makes quite a churn."

Quatre watched silently, his eyes glued to the glass as the methodic beep at the end of each frequency wave reverberated throught the area. It was some time before the pitch-black room slowly started to show color. A small pink bead of light started to glow at the center of the room and gradually grew larger.

The beeping on the monitor exploded into a rapid pace and Quatre suddenly felt sick as an overwhelming feeling swept over him. He gripped at his chest as his breathing grew heavier and the doctor was completely unaware, his eyes looking in amazement through the glass. The small pink bead radiated into a bigger orb of crimson red light. It was sinister, uncouth and Quatre was suddenly alarmed about the undertakings of this investigation's secret experimentations.

* * *

Whew, I got it out! Thank you for reading. I'm actually kind of excited about this chapter. It has taken a turn that I planned but it seems so much cooler now that I've actually started to write it. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. And thank you for reading and reviewing!

Sadekuuro: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I am also relieved that the characterization is good and hope that the progression of this story continues to be believable and reasonable! Thank you again for your review!

Sunshine Fia: Thank you so much for your review! Having Luna and Artemis return was a moment I had definitely been waiting for! I'm so excited to be able to write them! Hopefully they were well represented in this chapter! As for the outers, they will be coming up fairly soon but I'm not too certain when. I too love them oh so much! Usagi and Trowa is certainly a possibility but after writing this chapter, pairings may change. I plan to just write this story and let the pairings present themselves later. Some are set but others aren't so much so I apologize ahead of time if this does not end up including Usagi/Trowa.

oombala: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you like the interactions! They always give me a headache trying to think them out but its good to see that those headaches are not in vain! XD I'm also glad you like the storyline. It's turning into a pretty interesting one that is kind of different from what I originally intended. It's funny how that works sometimes...

Nerf-or-Nothing: Thank you so much for your review! You are truly too kind! You're writing is so phenomenal and I hope you return soon and update some of your work! Sparks are certainly starting to fly which makes me nervous because romance is a challenge XD Hopefully I can pull it off though. I am also so relieved that this story has been believeable and reasonable thus far. Hopefully it continues to be that way! Thank you once more for your review! It is truly appreciated!

Unnamed: Thank you for your review! Haha yes, Usagi's scene was so fun to write and I'm glad you found it funny too! Ami/Wufei is pretty hard to work but I love that match so much that I just gotta try XD I also deeply appreciate your confidence in me ^^ it has really motivated me to do my best! I hope you continue to enjoy this story and once again thank you so much for your review!

MegaKat: Thank you so much for your review! Hah, grammar and punctuation are definitely my downfalls. Furthermore, all your reviews were so fun to read. Lol and its funny that you noticed the chapters where my grammar had improved. Coincidentally I was taking some English classes at that time so its good to see that they had a temporary effect on my work XD Perhaps I can learn to revive those improvements...Nevertheless, romance is like a deadly poison for me. I LOVE to read it but I am pretty weak at writing it. I will eventually take that plunge and hopefully soon else I may chicken out. Haha and yeah violence is a good idea too! I just gotta find a way to get those themes in there...Anyways, thank you again for all your reviews! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!

TopazDragon: Thank you so much for your review! Minako and Ami's observations are definitely key and I'm glad they weren't so mundane and dry that the last chapter became boring. I always worry that things might get bland ^^; Anyhow, Duo is certainly onto something. That guy is so awesome that I sometimes struggle with not letting him steal all of the limelight lol. But on another note, I'm glad you like the pairings thus far. I'm pretty stoked about them myself! As for Makoto/Quatre, they are pretty adorable. But I do have trouble writing Quatre. Sometimes I feel that I might be redundant with stating how nice and cordial he is. I know he's got a tough side but I can never quite express that part of him without completely spiraling off course. Eventually I hope to get his character down as skillfully as you have! You always give his character justice! Anyhow, thank you again for your review! It is truly appreciated!

**4Shame**


	10. Chapter 10

Hyperventilating was as unnatural to Ami as breathing in air was for a fish. As she paced across the small area of sand just behind a rocky ledge, she felt her chest rise in a rapid pace as short breaths escaped when manageable. If she kept this up, she would be passed out in no time.

Distressed, she brought a red-knuckled hand to her head against the matted blue bangs that were darker than usual. Against her pale skin, the red looked ghastly but that was the least of her concerns as she hid along the shore in her private attempt to compose herself. Normally she wouldn't act so brashly. As a matter of fact, she had trouble believing that she had actually done it. It was as if she had suddenly awoken from a demonic possession in which she was present but she wasn't physically in control of her body.

She bit on her thumb in contemplation as she continued to pace. Why she rushed here, she wasn't completely sure. She was just so angry, so beside herself that she felt if she stayed longer something even more destructive might've happened. The water did such funny things to her, but never before had she been so close to it while angry.

Sure, the occasional tiff with monsters provoked a bit of her anger from her reserves but she had never quite felt it to the magnitude that it was felt today. As soon as she returned to shore and assured that her job was done, her soul boiled with fire undefined. She blazed with animosity and pure hatred along with an indescribable passion of rage. She wanted to hurt the one responsible, wanted to actively wring her hands around their neck until they realized just how much they had infuriated her.

Such a normally peaceful girl wanted the exact opposite of peace and she couldn't resist her urges. But the guilt plaguing her after acting on such raw emotion was mystifying. Was it really guilt? Or had she been disappointed that she had stopped herself before she could more?

"Hey."

She jumped at the sound, spinning quickly in the sand with her barefooted heels. Her bright blue eyes spoke volumes, casting an expression of uncertainty across like a neon sign. Her Chinese peer looked amused, an expression that he didn't oft display.

She gulped when she realized who it was and quickly cast her eyes to the ground in shame.

"I-," she paused. "Is he—"

"He'll live," Wufei stated as he stepped around the rock to get closer. He immediately noticed the reddening around her knuckles and couldn't keep himself from smirking.

At another glance he realized she had been pacing so much that her feet had already beaten a path in the sand as evidence. It was clear then that she was bothered by something and Wufei was curious to see what.

"What's wrong?" They weren't words that often came out of his mouth to females but he reasoned she could be the exception given her prior actions. He honestly would have never thought it was in her to do something so justified.

She gulped, looking to him with her brightly confused eyes and unconsciously reminding him he was amongst civilians. Her blue locks were drenched in seawater with trails of water riding against the smooth grooves of her pale skin until being stopped by her royal blue bathing suit.

"One of the kids nearly drowned." She let out, raising a hand to her shoulder and rubbing mindlessly.

She looked away. She had forgotten how delicate the subject of life had been for her. That is after all, the reason why she valued her duties so much. It was even the key factor in her drive to pursue medicine. Life. It was perplexing, though, how willing she was to give up her own life in exchange for someone else's. But that was beside the point.

She shouldn't have let herself lose control. Simply saving the boy would've sufficed. She didn't need to act out her dissatisfaction by charging at the chaperone that was supposed to be watching him. Besides, there was a life guard on duty so why didn't she attack him too?

Clearly this situation was inexcusable. She should have never gone off on such a violent rampage and that was the real reason she had been hiding away pacing. She was self-analyzing and trying to find the reason why she acted so out of character so she could fix it and ensure it didn't happen again.

"If you weren't there, he may have," Wufei pointed out. "I don't understand why you'd still be caught up on that. You seem like a rational person."

She turned to him when he said that and watched as he laxly leant against the vertical peak of smoothed out rock.

"What's really bothering you?" He asked with arms folded across his bare chest.

She was somewhat surprised by his question. For someone who hadn't really known much about her, he was certainly astute. Most people would be satisfied by her response and fill in the blanks with their own assumptions. At most, they would try to comfort her with words or a hug but she had a feeling that wasn't something Wufei would do. Still, she had wondered how she could overlook his perceptive nature.

She frowned.

"I shouldn't have hit him," she claimed.

It was simple, honest and surprisingly, she felt somewhat relieved to have said it out loud.

However, the loud scoff she heard distracted her from her feelings of fleeting guilt and relief.

"You're kidding, right?" Wufei replied with a self-righteous frown. "He deserved it for skirting his responsibilities and deciding to flirt instead."

At this, Ami was appalled. Ethics debates weren't brewed around her often, but they sure made her stand up straight in rebuttal when a point was expressed that she didn't particularly agree with.

"He did not deserve to be blindsided like that," Ami reasoned.

For a brief moment she felt her heart lurch in disgust at her words and she winced as she was forced to rethink her statement. Yet stubbornness prevailed and she concluded that violence in all forms (save it be in defense of the planet and people you loved) was unnecessary.

Wufei groaned. He learned a long time ago that arguing with women tended to be pointless, especially when they got that look in their eyes that screamed they would be right at all costs. It was the expression that was broadcasted in Ami's body language as she stood with hands on her hips and eyes directly staring back into his own. He certainly wasn't going to get mixed up with something as tiresome as an ethics battle so he rolled his eyes and looked away as if he was suddenly uninterested in conversation.

"I'm going to go apologize."

"You are not," Wufei retorted.

Her words spurred a reaction in him far greater than he expected and he was somewhat surprised to see himself standing upright with a hand gripped around her wrist. She turned to respond but was a bit flustered at the realization that she was mere centimeters from being completely flush against him.

His bottomless charcoal gaze bore down on her as a growl rumbled from his chest to his frowning lips.

"If you apologize to that bastard then he'll never think twice about ditching the kid when he should've been looking out for him."

Ami shivered. She didn't really know Wufei had taken this situation so seriously. While she was comforted that his refusal to accept her motivation to apologize came from a concrete reason, she was concerned by the strength in his grip that might possibly leave a bruise.

She looked at him questioningly and he must've noticed because he quickly retracted his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away hastily.

Justice was such an active part of his life that it was difficult to allow injustice to happen in front of him and frankly, Ami apologizing to a man that didn't deserve it just irked him. She was far too kind and it was frustrating.

"It's fine," Ami mumbled with a gulp.

She lightly touched her wrist where he had grabbed her and silently deducted that no harm had been done despite his strength. She brushed stray strands of hair from her eyes and awkwardly shifted her feet as though the motion would pull her from this extremely awkward situation.

She was still determined to apologize for her "juvenile" actions but the idea of vexing Wufei was alarmingly disturbing. Since when had she been partial to what Wufei had to say? They weren't exactly friends, right?

With a huff of breath and newfound determination, Ami abruptly cleared her constantly racing mind and stepped past Wufei without another word. She was going to apologize because apologizing was what she deemed was right.

Disappointment was clear on Wufei's face as he watched her march across the beach towards the small crowd that had accumulated around their spot in the sand. With a sigh and a mental note to let it go, Wufei followed soon afterward to help pack up the towels and blankets. Women were always such a taxing topic and he hated himself every time he made the mistake of believing he had found one that was almost decent. He just despised how they could overlook obvious faults in favor of perceiving "goodness" in people that didn't exist.

* * *

"Quatre, you're here?"

The startled blond turned swiftly to face the tall brunette that had spoken. In his true fashion, his chocolate brown hair wisped across nearly half his face to leave one clearly visible emerald eye. The surprise in his friend's voice was muffled by his monotonous expression.

"I," Quatre stammered slightly before clearing his throat and running a hand through his blond mane. "I needed air."

Trowa seemed to understand without explanation.

"So he showed you."

"Yes," Quatre responded, loosening the tie around his neck. He looked something like a grown man in his professional attire and to any bystander it was difficult to believe that he had only been in high school. "And it's not something that should be used, senshi or not."

Trowa nodded, the two walking in stride as they traveled along the sidewalk. In a maroon knitted turtle-neck sweater with blue jeans, Trowa seemed to match his friend in sophistication and maturity. It was no wonder why grown women had been ogling them as they passed by.

"I doubt that thought will be mutual," Trowa remarked with his hands in his pockets.

"I agree," Quatre groaned, rubbing the back of his neck as his mind raced with possibilities. Something so sinister should not be in the hands of such unpredictable scientists blinded by the excitement of discovering the unseen. For all he knew, they might be harvesting global chaos and he had only witnessed the specimen in its infant stages. While the energy signal may have use as a promising lure for the senshi, it was still yet to be known what else it was capable of.

This case had been taxing enough already. Leads on the prized identities of the senshi were dismal and Minako hadn't shown a single crack in her façade since they had arrived. She was so convincing that they were beginning to believe there was nothing to be found here. The only unnatural part about this city was the fact that quite a large number of people were convinced that the senshi truly did exist, but whether or not that was enough to keep this investigation going was wildly debatable.

"Quatre?"

The blond blinked before looking to Trowa with a weak smile.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I'm just at a loss."

"So it is more dangerous than I thought," Trowa commented with a slight frown. Quatre was strong by nature, so seeing him deeply concerned about a potential threat was disconcerting. "I suppose we may have involuntarily absorbed another mission to pile on top of this one…"

Quatre gulped, shoving his hands into his pockets as he mindlessly kept walking.

"That's only if the specimen gets stronger. So far they've been unsuccessful in discovering how to nourish it. Hopefully it'll remain that way until I can find a concrete method to shut down that entire operation," Quatre said. "Unfortunately the contract that we signed when we agreed to this job is limiting."

Trowa nodded.

"We've jumped into this quicker than we should have."

"Maybe," Quatre replied with a heavy exhale. "But on the Brightside, if we hadn't joined in on this investigation we may have never even known such a specimen existed," he said with a smile. "That has to count for something."

That was Quatre, always looking for the silver lining. Trowa couldn't help but give an optimistic smile back.

"I suppose it does."

His next train of thought was quickly discarded when he caught sight of a familiar pair of blonde pigtails bobbing through the crowds along the sidewalk. He mindlessly smiled, suddenly lightened by her appearance alone. She was smiling, as she always was, with another blonde companion that had linked arms with her. They had waffle cones filled with ice cream in their free hands but Usagi had already forgotten that fact when she spotted Trowa.

She waved excitedly, cone in hand, and he watched as the pink ice cream flew out of the cone and splattered atop her and Minako. They both yelped in horror as they split apart to observe the damage. Mild bickering ensued and Quatre amusedly observed before walking with Trowa to meet them.

"You could wear my jacket, if you'd like," Quatre offered to Minako who had received the worst of Usagi's blunder.

She looked up in surprise, blushing slightly as she saw him take off his navy blue suit jacket.

"Th-thank you," she stammered. It wasn't often that she had met real live gentleman and quite honestly, that was the first time she had ever seen someone take off their jacket without hesitation for a girl they hardly even met. What was even more amazing was the fact that she hadn't felt like he did it as a lure to gain her favor. It seemed this guy was genuinely kind and she sort of liked that about him.

His lean muscle mass was suddenly evident through his white shirt and she was shocked. He was a nice guy with what looked to be a firm body. Now she wasn't opposed to the thinner (okay scrawny) boys but she did have an affinity for men that looked like they could take care of themselves if ever they got in a fight and Quatre certainly fit the bill. And he smelled good!

She groaned to herself. It seemed her boy crazy self was starting to resurface but the worst part of it was that she was fairly certain this was the guy Makoto had been crushing on.

"What're you guys up to?" Usagi asked, now spared from having to apologize to Minako for her senselessness.

"Just out for a walk," Trowa responded first, which a surprise for Quatre. Usually Trowa was the last to speak and it only happened when it was necessary.

"Mind if we join you?" Usagi inquired with bright eyes.

Quatre couldn't help but laugh in good spirits. Such innocence was a rarity and he always appreciated it when he found it.

"Not at all," he replied.

Without pause, Usagi rammed into Trowa's side, linking her arm with his and tossing her empty cone into the trashcan.

"Usagi—" Minako awkwardly said as Usagi and Trowa walked ahead without them.

She looked to Quatre whose blue eyes sparkled like diamonds with the sunset behind him. Minako bit down on her lip with anxiety. He looked so much like her in some ways and she always swore she preferred brunettes but he was so sweet, so handsome, so comfortable to be around and not to mention limber.

She gulped.

"She's a sweet girl," Quatre mentioned in reference to Usagi.

Minako huffed, not completely convinced that Quatre's observation was a correct one.

"Some would agree with that," she mumbled as she hastily took to catching up to her friend and the first boy of her infatuation from that group of five.

With the way things were going, she wouldn't be surprised if she ended up liking the whole lot of them by the end of the school year. Well, with the exception of Heero. She paused.

Shrugging in frustration, she dropped the subject entirely and walked alongside Quatre through Juuban.

* * *

Ami was anxious as she approached the chaperones that hovered around a lean boy just three months her senior. He sat with his head tilted backwards while holding a red-stained towel to his nose. Guilt was now ridiculing her as she noticed the slight bruising at the base of his eyes, but deeply buried in her fortress of repressed thoughts was a truly impressed self. She hadn't known that she could hit so hard. She supposed watching Makoto as she trained and even Rei in her karate classes had somehow rubbed off on her.

Nevertheless, she came to a fidgety halt in front of him as the other female chaperones clustered to his sides to continue nurturing him. He was a handsome boy with his naturally feathered blond hair that fanned around his tan face. His chiseled abs were impressive but not quite as impressive as a certain Chinese man's…

Ami's eyes momentarily strayed from her victim to the Chinese boy that had taken up the task of packing the children's things. His hair was lost from its usual tight ponytail and jet black blew in the wind like silk. Then her eyes traveled to sight those chiseled abs…

She gulped, flushing to herself and quickly diverting her gaze. The water certainly did do things to her because never would she allow her inhibitions such a large release. Thankfully though, the children were being loaded onto the bus so none of them were there to catch her straying eyes.

She cleared her throat to get attention, and felt her anxiety return as the chaperones all turned to face her. The girls glared darkly at her and she wished she could retreat back and forget about this whole thing but she knew it needed to be done. Shinji, who had been assaulted by Ami, stood up with a raised brow.

"I wanted to apologize," she stated loudly so she would be heard above the waves. "I'm sorry."

She released a large exhale at the conclusion of her statement and nearly turned on her heels to leave before Shinji had made a sound.

"That's it?" He snapped.

Ami blinked incredulously. Was there more to say? She wasn't quite sure but it appeared that Shinji had thought so.

"I believe so…" Ami drifted with uncertainty.

He scoffed as the girls around him each started to roll their eyes at Ami and glare even harder. Ami hadn't known that such cold stares were capable of getting colder.

"You broke my nose!" He retorted.

Ami winced. She certainly didn't like being such a violent person and she regretted her actions entirely.

"I'm truly sorry," she added. "If it's any consolation, your nose isn't quite broken. But regardless, you didn't deserve it."

"Damn straight, I didn't," he shot back.

Reserved, Ami had withheld her slight feeling of annoyance and opted for the feeling of self-loathing. It was a poor habit that her friends would often scold her about, but truthfully she disbelieved their diagnosis that this was a severe habit. She believed that she controlled it quite well and that excessive self-loathing wasn't possible. Besides it often kept her from lashing out and incurring multiple criminal offenses. After all, she wasn't exactly foreign to the bitter end of teasing and gossip. If she got angry every time someone offended her, she'd likely be in jail. Then again, blaming herself for their actions against her wasn't necessarily healthy.

She cast her eyes to the ground, watching as her toes mingled with the golden brown sand. Soon this would be over and she'd be able to reinforce her mental note to never again allow herself to get into another predicament such as this.

"Please forgive me," Ami meekly stated.

There was a moment of pause before she was given a response and she was elated to have finally heard him speak.

"Yeah, whatever," he murmured.

It was enough for her. She was ready to leave, completely satisfied with her apology and prepared to continue her lecture to herself to never act so impulsively again. That is until a single word was released and somehow carried in echoes to her ears.

"Bitch."

Her spine shivered and the hairs at the back of her neck stood straighter than they had when Minako and Usagi came up with the brilliant idea to spike her hair into a Mohawk using super glue as a sleepover prank. An inner voice told her just to ignore it but the ocean was so loud that it drowned out that plea.

"Excuse me?" Ami said as she returned her attention to the group of chaperones that groaned at the sound of her voice. She could feel herself shaking, partly from reluctance and partly from rage.

Shinji scoffed in annoyance.

"You heard me, bitch," he said with added emphasis on his last word.

Ami's fists tightened at her sides and she could feel her blood literally ice over. She didn't say anything, as her lips were pressed into a stubborn line. Half of her wanted to drop it but the other half was too offended to walk away.

"What?" Shinji taunted. "You gonna punch me again?"

He stepped closer to her, leering as his face neared hers. She tried to ignore him, tried to urge her feet to move but she was stuck in some territorial battle where her body refused to move as he came in closer.

"Com'on Shinji, she's just looking for more attention," one of his female fans had said.

Ami was perplexed by the logic in that statement, which only added to her discontent.

Shinji hadn't listened. He pressed his head forward, butting roughly with Ami's on purpose. In a gritty tone he lowered his voice and snarled as he spoke. Ami kept her eyes away from his to keep from losing her temper that was teetering on pins and needles.

"You're lucky you're a girl, else I would've beat your ass earlier. Try that again and you'll have to give me more than just a stupid apology."

He laughed, his grin spreading as a hand greedily grabbed her rear end. She jumped, feeling sickly enraged as he left her with a degrading scoff. She could smell the clear scent of blood in her nostrils mixed with the pungent stench of his breath. It was like inhaling a grungy towel that had been drenched in sewage and stained with blood.

"Gah, you're a pig," one of the girls said with a laugh as he went to rejoin his groupies.

He smiled, his nose finally clear from bleeding, and tossed the bloodied towel to the ground. Engrossed in his erroneous success, he was completely oblivious to impending danger. There was a small tap on his shoulder and mindlessly he turned around only to be greeted by an ice cold fist to his already red nose. His body crumpled to the ground and standing over him for a second time was an infuriated blue-haired genius.

"_Now_ your nose is broken," Ami quipped with a stern frown. "And I recant my apology. You deserved everything you got, _bitch_!"

Angered, Shinji ungracefully leapt to his feet to retaliate. With blood already trickling from his deformed nose, he balled his fists and swung with full force. Ami blinked in surprise to find his fist just in front of her eyes, jet black hair catching her attention before her vision zoomed out to capture the entire scene.

Wufei had caught Shinji's wrist in a matter of seconds with a speed that was all together incredible. Then with a single shift in his hand, Wufei had Shinji cowering to his knees in pain.

"Com'on man, it was just a joke. I wasn't gonna do anything to her," Shinji cried.

Wufei scoffed in disbelief, increasing his pressure on Shinji's wrist in a threat to break it. Ami was starting to look concerned and Wufei was smart enough to realize that she would try to intervene soon if he didn't end it. So he took the initiative, before she could, and glowered in Shinji's direction.

"If you even so much as look at her wrong I swear I'll kill you," Wufei growled in a low voice.

The other chaperones were too shocked to move and upon hearing Wufei's threat, they reasoned he was good for it given their current situation.

"Understood," he grunted as he added even more pressure to Shinji's cracking wrist.

Shinji howled in pain, nodding his head frantically as he replied. "I understand! Please! I won't do anything to her, I swear!"

"Good." Wufei released him and scoffed when he saw Shinji cradle his wrist in his lap as though it were a baby.

When he looked up, the other chaperones avoided eye contact, a move that made him indifferent. It wasn't like he actually cared. He walked off, grabbing Ami in his plight and heading to the bus.

"You are not apologizing for that," he said as he dragged her along the beach. "And neither am I."

Ami nodded in response, a timid smile gracing her lips as she replayed the scene from just moments ago in her mind.

"Thank you," she said, causing Wufei to momentarily cease his haul.

He looked to her sincere blue eyes and nodded before smirking and continuing on.

"You were doing a decent job taking care of it yourself," he admitted. "But you deserved everything you got, bitch". I didn't know you talked like that. "He quoted in amusement.

Ami flushed red, her pale skin turning pink from embarrassment.

"Please don't tell my mother I said that," she begged. "She would be so disappointed in my choice of words."

Wufei couldn't hold back the urge to laugh at the innocence of it all. His fury dissipated immediately as he recalled the many instances where Ami had surprised him. He rather liked this violent side of her. He honestly never would've guessed it had even existed. Plus, she was quite a fish when it came to swimming, which was another remarkable trait that he would've overlooked had it not been for this trip.

By now he had stopped dragging her and they walked in tandem. As they neared the bus, Ami's foot had accidentally rammed into his own and he knew without saying what was coming next.

"I'm s—" Ami paused in surprise when she felt a rough hand on her mouth.

Wufei looked squarely into her eyes as he held his index finger over her lips.

"Stop," he said with a frown. "Not every unintended action needs an apology."

He hadn't said anything more, instead choosing to board the bus and leave her to ponder his words. She gulped as she steadily tried to regain her usual heart rate and huffed to herself. He was an interesting character, that Wufei. But somehow he had become a character that she was learning to respect.

* * *

Lately she had been so naïve, so easy to manipulate and downright soft. Though she knew she probably shouldn't act out her frustration through a physical median, she couldn't resist the temptation as her pent up anxiety kept pounding desperately at her reserves for a much needed release.

Cooking was often a good tool but she had done enough of that and it was evident by the array of delectable treats cluttering her countertops. She must've spent hours looking at all those trays of food in wonderment because she knew she couldn't eat it all on her own. With a notepad and pen she tried to write down names of people she might be able to deliver all this impromptu food but the list was finished faster than it had taken to grab a pen.

Usagi was the first, then of course the girls came in right after. Then Motoki was scribbled in followed by a long pause. She scratched in a name in idleness afterwards and stared hard at it before decidedly blotting it out with a frown. She tossed the notepad onto the table, the first letter of the blacked out name looking suspiciously close to a Q…

All her normal benefactors had already received more than enough from her cooking tangent, her neighbors included, so she was stuck with all this food and no one to eat it. What she should've done was send it all with Ami to feed the orphans she had volunteered to supervise at the beach. Then her problem would've been solved.

Nevertheless, with a groan she packaged the food neatly into containers and froze what she could before filling her fridge with the rest. Eventually someone had to be hungry and when they were, she'd be ready to feed them.

As soon as she packed away everything, she washed her hands, changed her clothes, and took to the streets. She paged Usagi with her communicator but received no answer. Then after a bit of solo reflection, she deduced that she hadn't really wanted company this evening so she desisted going down her list of friends to see who was free.

The cool evening breeze was refreshing as it ruffled through her hooded jacket and jeans. It was a nice contrast to the warm, aroma-filled apartment she had just left. Outside felt as though the wind had blown away all those small concerns that had piled up into a bundle of stress.

There was the impending lawsuit against her, the police's investigation, Risa's deception, the plan to throw off the police, school, work, a potential love interest. She sighed, pushing a strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she thought deeper. This was her last year in school, and quite honestly, that fact alone had scared her the most.

Griping and complaining about school was a genuine practice for her but now that it was so close to ending, she was suddenly consumed with apprehension about what she would do afterwards. For most people, life after high school was meant to be revolutionary! They'd go off to college to taste their first experiences of freedom and study, party, drink, fail, recommit and the list went on. But what would Makoto be doing?

Her grades were decent. They weren't as horrible as Minako and Usagi's but they weren't as outstanding as Ami and Rei's either. She was easily the median of the group, academic wise, but she doubted that would stand out on a university application. Her extra-curriculars only included flower arranging and Judo club, which weren't very lucrative on someone's transcript. So she could make flowers look pretty in a bouquet and hit a few people, it wasn't exactly a firm platform for a person bound to succeed in the future.

Of course, her life as the senshi of Jupiter might have been impressive but she often wondered how someone could put something like that on an application or resume without getting laughed at.

Occupation: _Sailor Jupiter_

_Pay Rate: I did not get paid so I suppose it was/is a voluntary position. _

_Job Description: I spent about 4 years of my teenage years warding off evil for the sake of mankind. The position required the ability to work well in a team setting, a positive attitude, self-sacrifice, complete commitment to the cause, remedial first-aid knowledge, CPR, ability to run in heels, good listening skills, the ability to follow directions, some logic skill, combat training, an understanding that you might die, willingness to die and so forth._

_Some opponents faced include but are not limited to aliens, deadly plants, evil scientists, bitter queens, faceless shadow creatures, centaurs, lions and other variations of cat monsters, demons, mirrors, and many more. Some powers that they possessed are mind-control, poison, fire balls, electricity, strong wind, beams, etc._

_Why do you think you'd be a good fit at –Insert organization name here- ?_

_Well, being as I've faced all the aforementioned enemies and more while enduring puberty at the same time gives me reason to believe that perhaps there is nothing else out there that I cannot handle (save it be another evil threat to Earth. Evil dictators tend to get stronger and stronger whenever they show up). Besides, I have died many times and returned. If that isn't persistence then I don't know what is. In short, I believe I'd be a great addition to –Insert organization name here- because I'm brave, persistent and will never give up when it comes to doing what's right. In this case, doing what is right would be succeeding in all that is expected of me. That is what I have to offer without fault. _

Makoto smirked to herself. She would love to see the reaction to an application like that. More than likely she'd be laughed off and denied but at least she couldn't be ridiculed as a liar. She exhaled.

Thoughts like these always led her down paths that redirected her to self-pity and frankly, she was tired of it. She needed something to clear her mind and though she knew she should probably avoid this particular place at all costs, she couldn't keep away.

Feeling vulnerable wasn't something she enjoyed so she needed a pick-me-up that could remind her that she wasn't helpless and that all those years of training weren't for naught. She crossed the street quickly, glancing behind her to make sure there were no followers. There never was. Especially for a girl with no family that lived alone as a waitress. She grunted.

There was a place she often visited without the knowledge of her friends. After all, it wasn't exactly _legal_ per say so she didn't think her defending-justice-friends would appreciate it properly. Though her physical strength and combat skills were hardly the traits she wanted to be remembered by, Makoto still enjoyed the occasional opportunity to flex her talents in a raw setting. When senshi business was slow and she felt antsy, she would always come here to relieve stress and stay sharp.

Goodness only knew that evil was always coming so she found no liberation in playing a civilian with the idea that she may be needed as Sailor Jupiter again in the future.

She came to a desolate alley and found herself at a large metal door. With a sigh she rapped against it with her fist and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. She could hear the concealed security cameras zooming in on her as she patiently waited. In no time the door had swung open, a robust guard appearing at the entranceway with a broad grin.

"Well look at what we have here," he greeted. "The little school girl's back."

Makoto couldn't help but smile. She knew she shouldn't have felt so at ease in a setting such as this, but she did. Which was even more reason to why she excluded the girls from this secret. They'd disapprove, she was certain. Hell, even she sometimes had her moments of disapproval. She wasn't a violent person, or a raging girl well trained in mixed martial arts, but this place gave others reason to doubt all that. So naturally you would think she'd stay away.

"Haven't seen you around here in a long time," the bouncer announced as he stepped aside to let her in. "Thought you might've left this heap for good."

Makoto shrugged.

"I've been busy," she explained.

"So I've heard."

He gave a hearty laugh and patted her on the back. He stood two full heads above her with broad shoulders and bulging muscles that made his collared black shirt look like it was about to burst. Spike had been the guard ever since she was first directed here.

Somehow word of her skills with hand-to-hand combat had spread around town when she came and some interested investors had sent out their recruiters after hearing she was having money troubles along with issues finding a place to stay. Motel rooms were getting expensive but apartment owners wouldn't rent out a room to someone so young, it was bad practice. Makoto had come here as a last resort, not knowing what to expect. The brief note she received barely had any information on it, save for the address, which she later understood why.

It was an underground fight club and from her first win, anonymous sponsors were more than happy to pull some strings to make sure she had a place to live around here. Luckily, they had been good sports that didn't chase her down after her appearances had decreased. Then again, most of the jockeys they sent to threaten her were usually made obsolete.

She figured those threats had stopped after Spike, the guard, had spoken to his boss that had taken a shining to Makoto. He relocated her to a nicer apartment away from the Cave (as this place was so eloquently named) where she wouldn't be bothered. And though pay at the Cave was exceptionally high, she eventually left for the meager pay at a local diner. Makoto didn't like living off of illegal wages and made an effort to get out of that type of life early.

If ever she showed up to the Cave, it was understood that she didn't do so for money. Which was fine by the owner. Him and his associates made much more profit when fighters fought for free, which gave Makoto more freedom than she originally anticipated. She was one of the few that could come and go as she pleased.

"What's this?" Makoto asked as she raised an eyebrow. The sparkling leotard hurt her eyes with the shining gold glitter that rimmed the bodice in its center to divide the parts of blue, red and white. White stars covered the blue expanse of the bottom half as red covered the top. To add even more "flare" to the outfit was a deep red cape and a pair of thick gold bracelets.

Spike laughed in amusement.

"You didn't come to watch, did you?" He asked.

"No," Makoto answered.

"Well then, this is your uniform."

"Uniform?" Makoto queried. "Since when did you-"

"Fighters have been getting cornered outside of here by angry investors lately so the boss requires all participants to conceal their identities," Spike interrupted. "At first contestants just had to wear a mask with whatever else they pleased but with the recent thrill around here about this senshi business, we've taken advantage of the trend and now require that fighters come dressed in superhero attire."

Makoto scoffed.

"So this place is buzzing about the senshi too, huh?" She groaned. "I thought for sure it wouldn't make a difference here."

Spike's grin broadened. "We may have a savage business," he said. "But that does not make us poor businessmen. Profits have quadrupled since we've changed the dress code."

"I'm sure it has," Makoto laughed with a hand ruffling her hair. "Anyone come as one of the senshi yet?"

Spike shook his head. "There aren't many female fighters and most of them dress up as male heroes to make a statement. Serious male fighters just wouldn't do that to themselves but someone did come in as Tuxedo Mask. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Makoto inconspicuously answered.

"Are you volunteering to be the first?" He grinned. "We do have a costume for Sailor V with a wig and all if you want it."

She laughed, briefly envisioning herself in Minako's uniform.

"I better not," she said. "Wouldn't want the feds knocking on your door to arrest me, ya know?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Not with the way you fight. Good call."

She nodded. "So is this the only other option I've got here?" Makoto asked as she observed the ironic Amazon heroine's leotard.

"I'm afraid so," he nodded.

"It's kinda skimpy," Makoto complained. Never mind kind of, it was completely scandalous!

"Yeah, investors are tired of seeing modest female contenders."

"I'm not surprised," Makoto scoffed, as she stood with arms folded across her chest in contemplation. Did she really need to do this? It was late in the evening. The chances of finding a drunken brawl outside a bar were pretty good right now.

"If it's any consolation," Spike started to say. "It comes with gold boots."

Amusement was hard to ignore for Makoto as she reluctantly grabbed the uniform.

"What the hell, why not? No one's gonna know it's me, right?" She said as she grabbed a glittery gold mask in the shape of an eagle that had large wings and two holes for eyes.

"No one but me and the boss," he said.

She shrugged. "Alright then."

"So do you want to be in the Women's pool or the—"

"Seriously, Spike? Women's?" Makoto griped.

A guttural-filled laugh escaped from Spike as he nodded, scratching out his previous writing to satisfy his young friend.

"Men's pool it is," he muttered before handing her the ticket. "Listen out for your name, Wonder Woman. You're likely to be the first match after the Women's final."

"Will do," Makoto nodded, placing the mask over eyes with a salute.

She turned to leave but paused when a group of people flocking behind a man dressed proudly in a Superman outfit had walked by. Superman, with his Elvis-like curl at the front of his hairdo, winked suggestively in her direction during his passing, earning a scoff from the brunette. As the crowd disappeared, Makoto turned to Spike.

"Put me against that guy first," she said.

"You sure, kid?" Spike replied. "He's been our running champion for the past two weeks. It might be tough."

"That's exactly what I need," Makoto replied as her eyes trailed to follow him.

Spike shrugged, unable to argue further. Makoto was never one to disappoint and he was certain the boss would be happy to reap the benefits should she win. Whenever Makoto stepped into that rink it was immediately felt that she was there for business. She didn't flaunt and call out to the crowd for encouragement like the others, she simply stepped in to take down whoever was standing across from her.

Most fighters like that weren't very well liked by fans but she had been an exception for the fact that she was a girl. She was tall, yes, but limber and not one of those women bulging with muscles so people were interested to see just what she was capable of. It was especially entertaining when she was put against brawny men that had names like The Iron Crusher or Barbarian Joe. They were corny, but their strength was not fabricated. They could punch craters into stage but Makoto would always surprise them.

Spike chuckled as he thought back to her most memorable matches. Even when she showed up bruised from other unknown causes, she always brought a good fight win or lose.

"What?" Makoto asked when she heard him chuckling.

"Nothing," he said. "I'm just really looking forward to the fight."

She gave a short grin. "I'll try not to disappoint you."

"You never do," Spike replied with a smile. His aged charcoal eyes were self-assured and Makoto was inexplicably comforted to know that someone other than the girls had confidence in her abilities when she didn't.

With a wave she finally made her way to the dressing stalls with the ridiculous costume in hand and a heart racing with anticipation.

* * *

A genuine smile was so hard to come by. Especially upon the stern lips of Juuban's most talented priestess whose amethyst eyes froze numerous onlookers dead in their tracks just by its fiery magnitude alone. If her rumored third eye wasn't intimidating enough, there was her flawless appearance paired with her famed temper that easily kept people cautiously at bay.

Of course she had admirers but none of them had courage enough to actually try and befriend her. They believed that to be an impossible task despite the fact that four girls had frequently visited her like they had actually known her personally. Some said that they were temple employees since they had been seen at the shrine selling charms alongside Rei and others said that they were friends for hire (by her father's doing). Hardly anyone actually believed that they had truly been her confidants and not just a front to make her appear normal like the rest of the girls her age. Some were still vehemently active in believing she was a witch because no girl should be as perfect as she presented herself to be.

Regardless, that didn't keep her from laughing as she spoke with Heero whom she had learned was fortunate to experience an entertaining moment with Usagi.

"That rabbit knows no bounds," Rei remarked with a smirk. "One of these days it's going to get her into trouble."

Scratch that. It had already gotten her into trouble before today. Perhaps what should've been said was that Usagi's lack for boundaries would lead her into _more_ trouble.

Rei's eyes briefly shimmered with that thought as she hastily pushed it away.

"You seem to be good friends with her."

Rei looked up, catching sight of his fascinating Prussian blue eyes and nodding.

"She's a handful," Rei admitted. "But she's a good friend to have."

"I guess I could see that," he replied whilst sipping his tea. Rei was nothing like Usagi nor Minako which led him to wonder how it is they had met in the first place.

Duo had informed him prior to then how each of the girls met and how four of them had been friends already before Minako's arrival. But actually getting into this group of friends and dissecting each individual elicited some room for suspicion.

Rei sighed, leaning back into her seat with what looked to be contentment. It had been a while since she sat down and had a casual conversation with a male that wasn't constantly professing to her how beautiful she was or how successful she could be in the future. Those things were nice, yes, but above all that she preferred candid moments where people forgot about shallow assumptions and talked about _normal_ topics like school, hobbies, interests and so forth.

Heero watched as she was momentarily caught in her own thoughts. Though she and Minako contrasted greatly, there was still something in there that they both shared. Some unseen trait that he couldn't pinpoint exactly but could _feel_ by intuition. There was a sense of solitude in their aura. One that somehow reminded him of the other pilots and even himself.

"Well," Rei said, pulling him from his thoughts as she looked to him. "I should probably get going."

"So soon," Heero replied.

She smiled at the inference that she was wanted longer, a notion that didn't refer to her often.

"I'm afraid so," she sighed as she stood from her seat. "If I leave those two alone for too long, there's no telling what'll happen."

Heero laughed. Though he hadn't really known Rei's grandfather, he did know Duo, and that man was a troublemaker by nature.

Without asking, Heero grabbed Rei's coat and mindlessly helped her into it. She was taken aback slightly but hid it when he hadn't appeared to be bothered by the task.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He nodded in response.

"Can I walk you—"

"That won't be necessary," Rei interrupted with a flinch.

It was that secondary reaction in full flare again. The one where she pushed people away before they could learn more about her.

"I live right down the street," she started to explain to take away from the sharp tone of her previous statement. "It would be selfish of me to take up more of your time for something so tedious."

Heero had a mind to walk her anyways but after a moment of pause he nodded. Fortresses weren't overrun in one day. That took time and patience.

"Perhaps some other time," he said.

Rei bobbed her head, suddenly pressured to leave the stifling café before she got even more uncomfortable.

"Thank you for the tea," she said awkwardly stepping by him to leave.

Heero smirked sensing that awkwardness wasn't something oft worn by the sophisticated Rei Hino.

He watched as she scurried down the sidewalk to the shrine but what he hadn't seen was the discreet smile that Rei hid beneath her scarf.

Duo yawned as he shuffled through the shrine to make sure everything was orderly and clean before Rei returned. He learnt from an early start that if even a single object was misplaced Rei would be breathing down his back like an angry dragon until it was fixed. So, to keep himself safe from harm, he regularly performed these sweeps before sleep so that he'd be able to have an uninterrupted resting period.

Plus, it was good to sweep through the shrine to make sure his bugs were well concealed and far from discovery. They hadn't been worth anything thus far but Duo had a feeling that the tides of luck were about to change…

As he slid the door open to the study where Rei and her friends often met, he walked carelessly inside to inspect the room. The bugs were in place, no items were out of place, and just like that his job had been done.

Relieved, he was in route to his bedroom until an annoying red light had flashed in his periphery. He halted immediately, a heel partially lifted from the floor in evidence that he had frozen in place. He turned curiously to find a small bead of light flashing beneath a cushion by the table.

Inquisitively, he knelt to lift the cushion that revealed a sugar-pink hand-sized calculator that had three sharp edges and one rounded edge with a small circular screen inside. The buttons were shaped like yellow stars, marked with numbers and operation signs while a small red light bulb flashed just below the tiny circular monitor in the corner.

"How cute," he smiled, still captivated by the little device. It was nothing spectacular but sometimes Duo just couldn't help his tinker self whenever he found any form of technology.

What was peculiar, however, was the fact that the engineer of this sweet little device had placed a flashing light bulb on a calculator. Why?

From experience he knew that nothing was added to an instrument unless it served a purpose for economic reasons. Besides, no good mechanic ever liked to put in parts that had no use. It was unnecessary work that wasted time and money so why then was there a flashing light on a calculator?

He was ready to discard his inquiry but something inside him wouldn't let it go. If it were a phone and it was flashing then he'd understand. Even if it was a pen and it was flashing, he'd understand, but a calculator?

"Hn," he huffed to himself as he scratched his head.

Was this his paranoia at work now or did this whole thing seem strange? She wasn't too sure. Maybe he needed sleep, or perhaps he just needed to stop being so paranoid either way he wasn't dropping this calculator anytime soon.

As the light flashed, he randomly pressed buttons to try and see if it could get it to stop. As he pushed 2, 3 and even 1, he saw the numbers on the rectangular monitor and further scolded himself for suspecting this calculator was guilty of more than being just that. He groaned, nearly tossing the device aside before accidentally pushing barely noticeable button along the side that made the light stop.

His breath held as he yanked the calculator back into sight and watched as the circular screen brightened like a television screen before it fizzled out within the blink of an eye. Aghast, he shook it, trying to find how he could get the screen to light up again.

But the light was no longer flashing and when he pushed the side button, nothing would happen to bring back the red light or the flicker of the screen. Now eager to find out what this was, he was fully engaged in research as he tried different sequences of buttons and shook the calculator in his hand. It wasn't until he heard the front door slide open, that he had ceased and shoved the device into his pocket.

He placed the cushion down neatly before standing and walked to the entrance with a smile.

"What're you doing in there?" Rei asked suspiciously.

Duo shrugged with his lopsided grin.

"Just making sure things are clean," he said. He could see her suspicion clear in her eyes as she tried to peek in around him as though she hadn't believed him. That sixth sense of hers was fairly deadly and Duo had no mind to get caught now. Not with that peculiar calculator that he had found at risk. This very well might've been a break that he had been looking for. Actually, he could feel that it was even without knowing what he had stumbled upon.

"Did you have fun on your date?" He asked with a smirk.

Rei stiffened at his query and Duo was glad to see that her suspicion was now clouded by her need to clamp up.

"Good night, Duo," she replied with a stern frown.

He laughed.

"It was that good, huh? Who knew the He-man had it in him to sweep up a babe like you," he taunted as she marched to her room.

Silence was his reward as she disappeared into her room and with a grim scoff, Duo squeezed the pink calculator in his pocket before walking to his own room. The tides of luck were definitely changing.

* * *

Artemis needed some fresh air and by the way Minako had been acting, he thought that she would do well with some space of her own for a few more days too. She had a tendency to obsess over every single detail of upcoming operations when he was around so to keep her from micromanaging when it wasn't necessary, Artemis had volunteered to be the one to go to the outers.

The trip was a long one to cover on foot and as he ran, his belly whined at the exercise which reminded him that perhaps he shouldn't have indulged so much on vacation. Nevertheless, he pushed those thoughts aside and easily snuck onto a freight train that carried him along the coast of Japan where he found a boat that could carry him to Europe.

The outers were away at their vacation house in Italy, a place that had been the perfect median for Michiru and Haruka. There was art, foreign cars and plenty of pasta, a food that they both enjoyed. Artemis himself was looking forward to visiting for the food alone. Goodness only knew that Italian was a severe weakness for him. Hopefully, though, he'd be able to control his cravings.

He pranced through Italy, nostalgic about the cobblestone streets and rustic landscape and trying hard to stay on task. He supposed Luna was somewhat right about the idea that he might be developing an attention disorder because more than once he had forgotten that he was in Europe on business alone.

Constantly ridiculing himself for his weak self-control, he continued through Italy in search for at least of the outers. Alas, it didn't take long before he stumbled upon a famous restaurant that he had seen on Food Network and had been longing to visit. With wide eyes he stared at the restaurant front, battling himself for whether or not it was acceptable to stop in for a visit. If not for that succulent looking Portobello mushroom dish that used the ingredient in fifty-seven different ways on just one plate then his mind would've been easy for him to reclaim!

Regrettably, such a distraction was not simple enough for Artemis to ignore. Thus, he walked in a haze towards the entrance, completely forgetting that perhaps he would not be as well received as he had imagined in his dreams.

"Ah_! Un gatto bianco sporco! Uccidere_!" He heard a woman screech as she pointed a gloved hand in his direction.

"Huh?" Artemis grumbled, suddenly running around as he was being chased by a waiter.

"_Venire qui kitty,"_ the waiter called with a broom in his hands.

_Not with that moustache, _Artemis thought to himself. He was only able to translate the bit of Italian that the waiter had been saying, the woman who kept screaming bloody murder was another story. Artemis scoffed. This was certainly not the greeting he had imagined.

His whole body stiffened when he felt himself being lifted from his feet. The waiter came to a breathless halt, looking as though he was ready to cuss out the person that had picked up the "filthy white cat" as the first Italian woman called him.

Artemis picked up immediately on the familiar sent of his rescuer, whose face he had yet to see and eased slightly in her hands as she stood in a crisp white button up shirt with sleeves folded to her elbows. Her long legs were donned with an ironed dress pant that was a light shade of khaki.

"_Quello che sembra essere il problema?" _Artemis heard her ask in that velvety tone that spoke volumes to her alluring charm. He could already picture the calm expression that she must've been wearing as she spoke to the disheveled busboy.

Such was the appeal of the outers. They were beautiful, talented, mature, calm and dangerous, a vision that Artemis imagined the inners would someday match.

"_Bastava che il cat era un cliente molto importante!" _The busboy angrily spat. He was so enraged while speaking that Artemis had silently winced. And here he thought Italian was a language of love…

He blinked. Wait, isn't French the language of love? He huffed to himself. It seemed his time with Minako had affected him after all.

"_Le mie scuse_," Artemis heard her say with her handsome blue eyes casting their soothing spell alongside her perfectly tousled sandy blonde mane.

The rest of the conversation fell on deaf ears as Artemis watched with amazement how his blonde friend was able mend whatever had been broken in a matter of minutes. The woman whose screech had awakened the whole neighborhood was laughing bashfully by the time Haruka had stopped to apologize to her for Artemis' interference with her evening.

To describe how alluring Haruka had been, the high-class woman had even started to stroke Artemis affectionately as though she had loved felines her whole life despite the small pink poodle in her purse. Artemis inwardly laughed. Even the small pink poodle was vying for Haruka's attention as it groveled from the bag and threatened to jump out towards her.

To sate the pooch, Haruka gave a brief pet on its head before walking off with the woman's business card that had been forced into the blonde's hand incessantly throughout the conversation. She tucked it away in her pocket to avoid being rude and walked into the restaurant without trouble from the staff that had previously endeavored to chase Artemis away.

"Already stirring up trouble, huh Artemis?" Haruka mused as she wove through the tables.

Artemis was so excited to have made it into the restaurant that he almost didn't hear her.

"You know me," he said as he bore holes into the platters, trays and carts of food.

Haruka scoffed, seating herself at a booth that had three other occupants.

"Look what I found on my way in," she said as she placed him on the cushions.

The white feline looked up to observe three more familiar faces who smiled towards him.

"Artemis," a green-haired woman with ruby eyes acknowledged first. "What a pleasant surprise."

Artemis nodded in agreement. It was definitely a surprise that not only would he be able to fulfill his fantasy and taste that delectable Portobello dish but he would also be able to find the outers in one shot. He should've known beforehand that they would be privy to such fine dining. They were, after all, the most driven people he had ever met.

"You're all looking great," Artemis stated before snapping his mouth shut.

It seemed he had forgotten he was in a public place.

"You can speak freely," Michiru said sweetly. "The sound in this booth is well secluded."

Artemis sighed in relief.

"Dinner and a meeting," he said. "Can't beat that."

"We heard that you'd be coming," the young dark-haired girl had said from her seat next to Setsuna.

"Have you?" He replied.

"Luna was worried you might get into some trouble here," Haruka informed in amusement. "So she asked us to be on the lookout for you. I didn't think she was actually right…"

A small shade of pink rushed across Artemis' cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck.

"She knows me well," he admitted.

"In deed," Setsuna nodded.

In remembrance of his more serious responsibilities, Artemis cleared his throat as he successfully rid his tourist nostalgia to address the business at hand.

"Did she happen to mention what I'd be coming for?" he asked.

In his periphery he could see Haruka ease back into her seat with a glass of wine while Michiru and Setsuna subconsciously straightened their shoulders. Hotaru continued to casually pick at her food and it was clear by their natural reaction that Luna had told them everything.

"So," Artemis quietly started, his paws tingling with anticipation as his tail swayed behind him. "What have you four decided?"

* * *

Thank you for reading. This was longer than I expected XD. But I am so excited to have brought in the outers. I love them so much! Anyhow I hope you enjoyed it.

varee: Thank you for your review! Rei and Heero will definitely be interesting to develop. Don't exactly know quite yet what that will mean but I'm still excited nonetheless XD. Also everyone else's friendships are going to be fun. I'm really looking forward to all of that. And I'm relieved to see that I'm getting better at writing. Improvement is always a plus! Again, thank you so much for your review!

Sunshine Fia: Thank you for your review! Luna is definitely onto something and I hope the outers' scene, though brief, was interesting! Also, it is good to see Heero acting more human. I quite like that color on him though I don't know how much I can go on with that without completely altering his character. Seems this story may take longer than I originally thought XD.

TopazDragon: You are seriously too kind! I am always so flattered by your reviews and they always get me excited to write more lol. I'm glad Quatre has been characterized well enough so far and I thank you greatly for your words of advice and encouragement. We haven't quite gotten the outers' plan yet for this investigation but I'll get right on that XD. Thank you again for your review! It is much appreciated.

angelicmayuka: Thank you for your review! Rei/Heero is one of my favorites too along with Minako/Trowa but pairing possibilities are still up in the air with me. Also, I'm ecstatic that you are enjoying the story so far! And that you thought Ami and Wufei's scene was adorable! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and thank you so much for your review!

Sadekuuro: Thank you for your review! Ami and Wufei's part with Ichi was one of my favorites to write and I'm happy the experiment at the end has caught your interest. That is definitely going to be one of my most favorite aspects of this story that I look forward to working with ^^. Again, thank you kindly for your review!

MegaKat: Thank you for reviewing! And yeah I agree that song is pretty awesome XD. I loved singing it on the bus as a child and those days will forever live on in my heart! lol It is a relief to see that my grammar and such have gotten better heh hopefully I can keep it up to par and not let laziness get the best of me XD. Thank you again for reviewing! It is much appreciated.

ROF: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad someone thought Duo's conversation was hilarious. I'm always skeptical about my own humor so I'm eased by the fact that someone else enjoyed it too XD. There is much potential for many different pairings (except for anything that does not include Ami/Wufei lol), so I've discovered, because I once thought I knew what I wanted and now things have changed. lol Anyhow, hopefully it all turns out for the better ^^ Thank you again for reviewing!

4Shame


	11. Chapter 11

Haruka leant patiently against the brick wall along the sparsely occupied streets with her hands tucked away in her pockets and deep black sunglasses guarding her charming blue eyes. Her tousled sandy blonde mane went well with her usual attire of a white button up dress shirt and khaki slacks.

Setsuna would sometimes give her a hard time about her monotonous wardrobe full of the same shirts and slacks, but it was to be expected since she was a fashion designer and missed out on being able to use Haruka as a billboard for her work. Michiru, of course, was very helpful in promoting her clothing line since her beauty and poise were nearly unmatchable, as well as Hotaru whose pail skin with her asymmetric bob of violet hair and dauntingly wise lilac eyes had attracted artists, designers and the public without even trying.

If Michiru and Hotaru hadn't been so successful in sporting her designs, then Haruka suspected that she would've been strong-armed by Setsuna a long time ago. Thankfully, Michiru's beauty and Hotaru's striking features weren't fading anytime soon so Haruka was still safe to enjoy her own simple style that had earned her many admirers.

Nevertheless, she laxly hung out in that slightly shaded part of the street where the occasional pedestrian would pass her by, sometimes with a cordial nod and sometimes without notice. As the time passed and the sun had started to set, she looked to her watch and sighed, briefly glancing in all directions before resettling back into her position against the brick wall.

"What exactly are we waiting for?"

Her ears perked with attentiveness when she heard the question and she smirked.

"Impatient much?" She said with a scoff.

A sigh escaped the body of her feline friend as he sat on his hind legs beside her and idly licked at the padding of his right forepaw.

"I just want to get the girls out of this mess as soon as possible," he said in a whisper. "It's a lot of stress to have to bear—the idea of being discovered, that is. I've only been back for a few days and I'm already buried with worry."

Haruka nodded in understanding.

"Everything will turn out the way it should," she said as she remained patiently leaning against her recently claimed post.

Artemis bobbed his head in an attempt to agree despite his lesser thoughts. Still, he resumed his seated position by Haruka's feet and waited as the bright orange sun set across the horizon. Italy was certainly a sight to see even in the filthier streets. The horizon was mesmerizing. Shades of pink and tangerine swept across the flat line of the horizon in a whimsy of color to cast a faint sparkle atop the rustic city walls.

In the distance Artemis could see the outline of a single bird beating its wings against the low current of wind as it glided across the sky towards the shrinking sun. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and it was somewhat enchanting how that simple picture had significantly soothed his racing heart.

_Ahem._

Artemis' pointy white ears were launched straight up into a standing position when he heard the manly guttural of a strange voice. His sapphire eyes darted to the side to see that Haruka had left her post to speak with this casually dressed newcomer who donned fraying blue jeans, a black coat and a gray scarf with a matching two-snap brimmed cap.

_Meow._

Artemis purred as he laced himself between Haruka's legs and reseated himself between them. Haruka couldn't help but be amused at his sly eavesdropping.

"A friend of yours?" the stranger asked in his thick foreign accent.

Haruka shrugged. "He wouldn't let me leave the house without him," she said.

"Hn."

From his angle on the sidewalk, Artemis had trouble spotting anything other than a faint picture of the man' s round nose and a bit of his nostril. It was one of the disadvantages of being so low to the ground. You weren't always privileged enough to see stranger's faces so he'd have to memorize them by scent if necessary. Why, when he first met Minako, he had connected her to the scent of sweaty socks and body odor, which was quite unpleasant. Even when Minako had sprayed herself with _Spring Blossoms _body spray it wouldn't help. All it had managed to do was make him rupture into a fit of sneezes to which she would always giggle. Luckily, though, she had graduated from that scent in time.

This man, however, smelt like musky pine needles as though he had just walked out of the forest and decided to meet up with them. Unconsciously, Artemis' nose twitched as he sniffed the air around him and picked up on a faint smell of ginger. It was a relaxing scent and he imagined he wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon.

"Zis is all I could pick up," he said. "It vas extremely difficult to find much of anysing. Zay are keeping it under serious lock and key."

"I appreciate anything you could give me," Haruka replied with a curt smile.

He nodded back to her as he stuck his hands in his pockets, rocking on his feet as though he was contemplating something. By now, Artemis' eyes were glued to the folder that had been exchanged and watched as Haruka neatly tucked it away in her deep brown shoulder bag that now rested against her hip.

"Vas there anysing else you needed?" He asked.

Haruka shook her head.

"Not that I can think of," she answered. "If I do think of something, I'll give you a call."

He nodded. He turned to leave but in mid-step it became clear that he was incapable of ignoring his inner debate as he spun back around while he scratched the back of his head in slight shame.

"If you don't mind me asking," he said. "Vat exactly do you need all zat information for? It's all a bit…abstract," he said for lack of better words.

The hairs on the back of Artemis' neck stood with anxiety. He never did like including outsiders with senshi business and certainly didn't enjoy hearing them ask questions. Fortunately, Haruka was much less prone to panicking and calmly laughed in response.

"I'll tell you as soon as you answer some of my questions about your curious requests."

He seemed to flush at that as his body stiffened. An apologetic laugh escaped him as he lifted his cap to quickly rake a hand through his dark mane of hair.

"Sorry," he said. "I sometimes forget about zees types of zings."

"It happens to the best of us," Haruka replied.

He nodded. "Vell zen, I should be going. Good luck, Haruka."

"Thanks."

She stared after him as he merrily skipped along the street and blended in with a crowd of people that had awakened with nightfall. Artemis sat in wonderment, quietly assessing the entire situation as his perception of the outers' sophistication and magnitude for outstanding planning had been expanded. He never knew they had friends outside of their small group of four which made him analyze the state of the inners and their social circles.

"Is he—"

"Not at all," Haruka answered. "He's human like the rest of us with no idea of who we are."

Artemis laughed a little. "Like the rest of us?" He repeated with a smirk.

Haruka rolled her eyes at his statement and shook her head. "You know what I mean."

"I guess," Artemis said.

They started walking immediately, and it was not long before Artemis had started to ask even more questions about the company that the outers liked to keep.

"We have friends with secrets," Haruka said as she strolled along the streets.

Artemis' logic drew a great big question mark at her statement as he continued to keep pace with her, which was difficult given her long strides.

"Come again?"

Haruka was somewhat surprised that Artemis hadn't been able to piece things together but was lenient given he was under some pressure. When the crowd thickened and they had started to weave through loud pedestrian traffic, she had picked him up so they wouldn't be separated and began explaining.

"Most our friends would prefer to stay invisible," Haruka said. "Like us, they don't want to be noticed more than is necessary. But that isn't always possible."

"So you make friends with them?" Artemis asked with a raised brow.

Haruka smirked.

"I guess you could look at it that way. Mostly they keep our secret, we keep theirs," she said. "Neither of us wants exposure, so we basically make a pact not to rat the other out."

"But what if they turn you over for a large bounty or something. Doesn't that ever worry you?"

Haruka sighed.

"At first, it did. But that just comes down to who you choose to affiliate yourself with. Some people are rats and others are kind of decent. Besides, it helps to have friends out there. You can't always do everything yourself, no matter how much you might want to."

"So he knows who you guys are? That you're senshi?" Artemis asked with a furrowed brow.

Haruka laughed. "Of course not," she answered.

By the expression on Artemis' face she could tell he didn't understand.

"He knows enough to realize that we aren't quite _normal_," she explained. "But nothing too revealing. Just like how we know he's no ordinary lumberjack but we aren't exactly sure who he is or what his actual profession might be. We all just have—inclinations, if you will."

Artemis' head was starting to hurt as he tried to make sense of Haruka's explanation. So this stranger only had suspicions that they weren't just freelance artists and had somehow acquired knowledge of small pieces of information that might cause alarm if shared with the wrong people? He wasn't quite sure he had everything in order just yet, but he was certainly fascinated. Quietly, he continued to contemplate the nature of which the outers had operated.

"So this guy," Artemis started to say. "He had some sort of connection to the senshi case?"

"Not at all," Haruka said. "If I asked someone close to the investigation for information then they might be compromised. Believe it or not, the security system around the senshi investigation is top notch," she said with a laugh.

"So who is he?" Artemis impatiently asked. His head was starting to hurt from all this thinking and lack of food.

"An expert at data collection," Haruka cryptically answered. "Don't ask how we met. It's sort of confidential. As a matter of fact, I sort of feel guilty enough as it is for saying too much about him."

Haruka frowned but it was short lived as her eyes sparked in amusement and looked him over.

"I don't have to worry about anything though, right?" She asked. "You won't go spilling to anyone else will you?"

"Who would I tell?" Artemis replied.

Haruka bobbed her head as she thought it over.

"That's true," she said. "But for safe keeping, don't tell the inners."

Artemis was slightly offended that she wouldn't trust the inners with that type of information but quickly rescinded his ill feelings after thinking it through. Though the girls were trustworthy, some of them had a tendency of over-complicating things. At this point, one secret to keep was enough for now.

"So what's the plan, boss?" Artemis asked as they neared home.

"That depends," Haruka replied with a slight frown. "Hopefully I'm carrying good news in this bag."

* * *

Boredom encased them despite the stress, the paranoia and their slight case of anxiety. While Luna spent her days perched in treetops spying, the girls spent their days watching for her to see if she had spotted anything. After weeks of receiving nothing, they had steadily started to breathe again.

The thought of being discovered was frightening, but the slow action of the police aided in decreasing their concern. Of course, the delayed reaction of the outers hadn't helped with much either. Surely if there was something truly disturbing happening then the outers would've acted quicker.

In a haze, they all kept to their own schedules. Ami would go to cram school, Makoto to work, Rei to the temple, Usagi to the Crown Arcade and Minako to the mall. The thought of meeting up together to do something had crossed their minds but at the same time they were each quietly trying to avoid each other. After Ami's spiel about their severe codependence and lack of branching out, they thought that it was a necessary precaution.

Usagi, however, couldn't really handle separation much longer and truthfully neither could the others. In truth, there was a cold realization that most of them only needed one hand to count their number of friends in Juuban.

"Don't even try to pretend like you didn't see me!" Usagi called out as she used her surprising stealth to snatch the arm of her taller brunette friend.

Makoto tried to be coy and scratched her head as she said, "I didn't realize it was you."

"Sure you didn't," Usagi said with a wink.

There was no separating them now and she made that clear by the way she had linked arms with her long missed friend. It may have only been a week, but to Usagi, it felt like a lifetime.

"You don't happen to have any goodies on you, do you?" She asked with a shameless smile.

"As a matter of fact…"

Makoto didn't even have to finish her statement before Usagi had pilfered her prepackaged sack of food and started rummaging through it. She laughed as the young blonde fondled a rice-cake that was still warm and stared at it as though it were a prized gem before cramming it into her mouth as a whole.

"Oh ma gawsh, I've mist your cooging so mush," Usagi mumbled in between bites. "And you, of course."

"I'm not sure I believe that." Makoto teased.

"It's true!" Usagi proclaimed with her mouth full of a pink teacake that she was salivating over even more now that it was in her mouth.

"Why am I not surprised to find you stuffing your face?"

No one had to look to know who that was and although the tone was sharp and meant to be insulting Usagi still lunged with joy towards the raven-haired beauty crumbs and all.

"Oh Rei, it's been ages!"

Rei stepped back in repulsion to avoid contact and Usagi barreled right past her into an unbalanced brunette that had fallen to the floor with her on top.

"Heh, I've missed you too babe. But this type of behavior really belongs in a bedroom." She looked up in time to catch Duo's playful wink and a deep blush immediately rushed to her cheeks. "Mine is available by the way."

"Hanging out with Duo, huh?" Makoto quietly asked Rei with a slight chuckle as Usagi fumbled to pick herself up from being on top of Duo who hadn't seemed to mind at all. He was proudly lying on the floor with a glint in his eye that said he could stay there forever.

"Sorry," Usagi said as she unsuccessfully tried to regain her sea-legs and worked hard to ignore his flirting ways.

"We've got all the time in the world, babe. There's no need to rush."

Rei rolled her eyes as she watched them from beside Makoto.

"I'm not," she said. "I have to restock the pantry so I brought him along to carry the groceries."

"Aah," Makoto replied with a nod. "Smart."

Rei nodded in agreement. She briefly glanced over towards Makoto who donned hemmed black shorts, a charming off-the shoulder cream-colored blouse with black flats and did a double take when noticing a bluing bruise beneath her sleeve.

"What's this from?" She asked as she tugged at the fabric of Makoto's top with a slender finger.

Makoto winced as she hastily tried to cover it up.

"Uh, nothing." She never was good at making up believable lies on the spot. "I was cooking some lasagna and went to grab a pot when the whole cabinet fell on me."

Rei nodded slowly, obviously unconvinced. "Right," she said but she didn't push the matter. If it was really important, she liked to believe that Makoto would tell them on her own.

"Usagi-chan, are you alright?"

Both Rei and Makoto looked up at the foreign voice and raised their brows at the sight of yet another brunette who towered over each of them and had offered a helping hand to Usagi. His hair swooped over to cover nearly half of his face as one emerald iris peered out with slight concern. When he had become friends with Usagi was unknown to the both of them but not very surprising. Usagi had an uncanny gift of being able to befriend all sorts of people, good or bad.

Duo hopped up and dusted himself off before meeting a cold glare that he found unusual upon his taller comrade. He scrunched his brow in scrutiny and returned a glare of his own when noticing how attentive Trowa had been to Usagi.

"Thank you," Usagi said with her cheeks still flushed from embarrassment and exertion.

For a moment awkwardness loomed among them as there seemed to be some tension between Trowa and Duo who hadn't stopped staring the other down since they had first seen each other. Usagi wasn't sure how to approach this but was luckily saved by Rei who had little patience for it.

"Well I'd say it's about time we stopped horsing around and get going to the grocery store. Some of us still need to earn our continued stay at the temple," she said. "Wouldn't you agree, _Duo_?"

A short frown crossed his lips before his mind quickly calculated a response.

"Grabbing groceries takes too long. Why don't we just go get some instant food?" Duo replied. "What d'you say Usa?"

"Uh, what?" She answered, somewhat perplexed about why he would ask her instead of Rei. "I think grandpa would appreciate it if you went with Rei to the store first."

"For once I agree with you, Usagi-chan," Rei said. She crossed her arms in annoyance and watched as Duo insisted otherwise.

"Nah, we can go get grandpa and all go for some take-out or something."

Makoto scoffed. "Are you talking about all of us going or do you mean only you, Usagi and old-man Hino?"

Usagi sweat-dropped. She definitely didn't like the feeling of being the center of attention at the moment.

"All of us, of course. Well, unless you're busy, Trowa."

"Not at all." Trowa responded coolly, earning a noticeable grunt from Duo.

"Then it's settled. Let's go eat." Duo aggressively announced.

Makoto shook her head, not completely sure she wanted to get involved in this strange situation as Usagi awkwardly tried to inch away from Trowa and Duo who were both acting weird. Rei was nearly ready to crack the whip but was soiled in her attempt when realizing Duo had found a payphone and called grandpa who had excitedly jumped at the opportunity to eat out. He enjoyed the temple and home-cooked meals but it had been a while since he was asked to join someone at a restaurant. When hearing the excitement in his voice blasting through the phone, Rei couldn't find it in herself to deny him so she drudgingly went along with it.

"If I'm going, you're coming too," Rei whispered in contempt as she gripped Makoto's arm with all her might before she could try to dip out. Makoto groaned. She knew she should've holed in at home and watched chick-flics like she had originally intended to.

Usagi was dragged along somewhat uncomfortably between Trowa and Duo as they walked by to pick up grandpa who was in his nicest suit and waiting. Rei couldn't keep from smiling but hid it as she urged him along the sidewalk. He lightened the mood with his antics and Usagi was able to shake a bit of her awkwardness when grandpa started cracking jokes that he had always saved up for outings.

When they arrived to the front of a classy Moroccan restaurant, the girls froze.

"Who exactly is paying for this?" Makoto asked as she suddenly noticed the light weight of her pockets.

"My thoughts exactly," Rei muttered beneath her breath.

Grandpa, on the other hand, was greatly enthused.

"You kids are so kind to your elders," he said as his slapped Duo in the back as a token of gratitude. "I knew I made the right choice of making you my apprentice."

Duo laughed, rubbing away the small sting and beaming back at the girls and grandpa.

"Don't worry. It's all taken care of." He tried to sling an arm around Usagi but Makoto had seen enough and thought it was time to step in for her friend as she inconspicuously tugged a clueless Usagi away from his reach. She gave him a stern look before putting her own arm around her friend's shoulders instead.

Trowa quietly laughed.

"I don't know about this," Usagi said as grandpa had departed to go speak to single women that had been lingering by the entrance. "My parents only come here once a year because it's so expensive. Even so, my dad usually has to call at least six months beforehand just to make a reservation."

"Maybe we should find someplace else to eat," Makoto said, feeling oddly misplaced as finely dressed people passed by them. "Even if we could get in, I don't think we match the dress code."

"I am not going in there." Rei flat out said it as she pressed her lips into a fine line.

Duo sighed.

"Com'on Rei, you don't want to break gramp's heart do you?"

She looked over to where her grandfather had been amusedly engaging in conversation with an older lady that was closer to his age for a change. The woman laughed coyly as she covered her mouth with a small fan and started batting her eyelashes purposefully. It was perplexing how comforting the sight had been for her and she wondered why this was so. It took her a moment of watching this scene play out before she gave the surprising nod of approval and nothing else.

"Really?" Makoto said in shock.

She realized Rei had actually meant it when she saw her following after Duo and Trowa who had led the way. With a large exhale she and Usagi both followed suit, Makoto being more hesitant than her blonde friend.

Stepping inside _Marrakesh_, as it was called, was like stepping through a portal to another dimension. Tuxedoes and formal gowns walked across so casually that if felt as though this attire was natural and necessary along with the air of sophistication that undoubtedly suffocated the entire establishment. When noticing that the servers had been better dressed than the incoming group itself, the girls were beginning to have second thoughts. Rei never did like seeing the rich in their unnecessary extravagance, Makoto wanted to jut for the door in preference of the Cave and Usagi was somewhat stunned.

When a party of four had passed by them with condescending stares, Rei matched their looks and made them rethink their moves. She had always been quite skilled with nonverbal communication in high-society functions and she unconsciously scoffed to herself about how snooty they could be.

"Name," the host said as he gave each of them a disapproving once over.

"They're with me, Youseff."

They all turned to spot the meek blond who smiled sweetly towards them in his loose Arabic garb and had been accompanied by a stoic Heero Yuy who nodded towards them with eyes that flit towards Rei. It was quite unconsciously that a small smile had found its way to her lips.

"I see," Youseff replied quickly as he mentally hoped his unpleased look had fallen on blind eyes. "Right this way sir."

They wove through the tables with many eyes boring holes into their skin but the notion had been completely unacknowledged by Usagi who seemed to be focused solely on Quatre's affiliation with this fine dining scene.

"Are you the owner's son or something?" She had asked under her breath as they followed Youseff.

Quatre laughed. "Not at all. But the owner is a good family friend," he said.

"Oh," Usagi replied. "So he gives you a discount?"

Usagi's innocence was so distinct that Quatre couldn't help but marvel at her nature. Everyone around her couldn't help but be infected with smiles as she tried to be inconspicuous with her questions, save it be their host.

"Mr. Winner doesn't need discounts." Youseff said with a scowl as though he had been deeply offended by Usagi's inquiry.

"Youseff please," Quatre said with a frown. "These are my friends."

Youseff stiffly straightened up in reform, feeling deeply guilty from Quatre's disappointed expression, and bowed towards Usagi.

"Forgive me."

"It's nothing," Usagi said with a genuine smile. "I sometimes ask dumb questions."

Usagi had been seated first as their apologetic host pulled out a seat and gestured for her to sit. She complied almost giddily as she was reminded of all of the fantastical daydreams she often had about grand dining halls with servers in fine attire and company in gorgeous gowns and handsome suits. She wasn't wearing her princess ball gown but she felt that her halter-top sundress with a floral print upon the white cotton was good enough given the attire of her friends.

"Thank you," she said graciously as she gawked at the line of silverware around her plate. She had only seen such a thing in movies and it was quite entertaining to actually witness it in person.

When she looked up, she saw Quatre pull out a seat for Makoto, who had somehow found herself by him, and grinned mischievously. Her attempt at playing matchmaker with Heero and Minako hadn't gone quite according to plan, as evidenced by Heero and Rei who were currently in a quiet conversation beside each other, but that didn't mean she should quit all together. It only meant that perhaps she had gone in the wrong direction. By the blush on Makoto's cheek and the lustrous shine to Quatre's kind smile, she knew she had a winning pair.

While she maliciously rubbed her hands together in preparation to initiate the _love-works_ (her newly coined term that ingeniously combined love and fireworks) the seats to each side of her were pulled out to be occupied by two brunettes that she had nearly forgotten about.

Duo loudly sighed to side of her, almost making her jump in surprise. "This is a nice place, isn't it?"

He looked to Usagi with those gorgeous blues and her heart leapt in remembrance of her somewhat confusing situation. Lately she had been escorted home by Trowa almost every day after school and when she'd pass by the shrine she would always feel her heart pound with interest when Duo would sneak off from Rei's supervision just to talk to her. Both were extremely handsome, easy to get along with and often made her question why it was that she had started to inadvertently look forward to seeing both of them.

She nodded in a slight haze and felt herself grow even more uncomfortable when she heard Trowa speak to her left.

"It was kind of Quatre to be hospitable enough to grant you your extreme request," he said with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Of course, Usagi-chan deserves such luxuries, unlike you Duo who shamelessly takes advantage of your friends' wealth."

Usagi didn't have to look to know that Duo had been offended. She could literally sense him become rigid as though she herself was doing the same.

"So says the circus clown," he replied.

Usagi didn't understand that at all but apparently Duo had made a good comeback because Trowa was soon as rigid as Duo.

Unfortunately when Usagi looked up for some help to diffuse this tense situation, she had found that both Makoto and Rei were preoccupied. There was a subject of desert plants being discussed between Makoto and Quatre while Rei and Heero were coyly engaged in a saucy topic that she couldn't quite hear, but could tell it was good by the smile on Rei's lips. Even Grandpa Hino was enjoying himself as he chatted away with a recently acquainted lady by the name of Hana whom Quatre eagerly welcomed to the table when noticing Grandpa had taken a liking to her.

If Usagi had known she'd be isolated like this with both Duo and Trowa then she would've been a bit more resistant to the invitation.

"Usagi-chan prefers lemonade," Trowa said when Duo had tried to order her a virgin margarita.

"I'm sure Usagi is adventurous enough to try something new, right Usagi?" Duo asked expectantly as he turned to look at her. Trowa turned in his seat too, now awaiting a response.

Usagi had every inclination to try and hide behind her hands but refrained as she diverted her gaze to the waiter.

"I'll just have a water please."

It looked like the Tsukino Matchmaking Company was currently on hiatus.

* * *

Minako tried to be inconspicuous as she stood in what she thought was a secure spot behind a fake tree inside Kato-san's burger joint. She was randomly walking past the place when she caught a glimpse of a strange scene in the window and was forced by curiosity to stumble back and stare before she decided she needed to go inside.

She grabbed a menu to cover her face when they looked in her direction, thinking that it was completely natural for someone to read a menu while standing by a stranger's table, and hastily gave the menu back when she was certain they had looked away. The strangers at the table gave her awkward glances, one even tried to hit on her, but she was too preoccupied to notice any of that.

Well focused in her mission, she crept towards the foliage of a plastic plant and hid behind it while she studied what she was witnessing.

Ami, who had commonly been a solitary person, sat comfortably across from the Chinese boy that Duo had described to be overtly prideful and a bit rough around the edges. She tried to recall his name but she just couldn't bring it to mind since she never thought she'd have to.

At first she had assumed they were together to study, but when she didn't see Ami's brown leather satchel, she knew she had been mistaken. Was it that Ami had found a romantic interest in this new guy? Minako smiled at the idea and quietly wished the other girls were there with her to spy on them but tensed when Ami had stood from her seat.

The blue-haired girl smoothed out the skirt of her favorite halter-top dress. Minako panicked as she frantically looked for something to hide behind and when she found nothing, she plastered herself against the wall and closed her eyes. Though she was considerably much more talented with detective work when it came to senshi business, she had been significantly out of practice when it came to matters like these. Secret romances always muddled her brain (as was the case for the other girls too even Ami) so much so that her skills and stealth often faltered. Hence, it came as no surprise—but disappointment instead—when she opened her eyes to see Ami staring at her with a raised brow.

"What're you doing, Minako-chan?" Ami had a good idea what her blonde friend was up to, but she liked to let people speak for themselves rather than make any assumptions.

Minako blinked a couple times before giving a broad smile and throwing her hands up towards Ami for an embrace. Somewhat shocked, Ami hesitantly returned the hug and listened.

"I'm so glad to see you, Ami!" Minako said as her mind reeled for a believable excuse for her spying. "I saw you from outside and I know we're trying to avoid each other but I was so conflicted and wanted hang out with you. But then I saw you with that guy and I didn't know if I should interrupt your date or just let you be, and well, now you've found me."

Ami's cheeks flushed and she hastily clarified that this wasn't a date but a friendly outing. Frankly, Minako couldn't tell the difference between a friendly outing and a date and assumed Ami was just speaking in code.

"Oh, well. I guess I'll just leave you two to your _outing_," she said as she made air-quotes with her fingers.

"Why don't you join us?"

Minako froze in mid-step and turned around with bright eyes as if she were surprised by the invitation.

"Join you?" She said in a preposterous sort of tone. "Seriously?"

Ami's eyes softened as she gave a small laugh. She knew Minako hadn't believed her when she said Wufei was just a friend but nodded just the same in confirmation that she was serious.

"Wow," Minako replied. "I guess it really isn't a date after all."

Not wanting to waste the evening by being alone, she decided she would sit with them. Upon arrival Wufei seemed to jump up from his seat, not so much in surprise but more so in undetectable eagerness.

"Wufei, this is my good friend Minako. Would you mind if she joined us?" Ami asked.

"Not at all," Wufei said with a slight bow.

He was quite different from what Duo had said he'd be like which was somewhat of a relief. She gave a smile before taking a seat on Ami's side of the booth and ordered a smoothie to tie her over.

"So, do you guys meet together often?" Minako asked with a wink towards Wufei.

He was somewhat taken aback by her charm and took notice of her sparkling smile and alluring sapphire eyes. They were only a shade lighter than Ami's but they had given off such a different vibe from Ami's meek and calculating gaze. Minako's was much more confident with a hidden charismatic charm. Seeing that alone only verified to him why she was able to hide for so long, that is, if he chose to believe that these senshi were real.

"Sometimes," he answered plainly. He didn't quite understand why that response had seemed to fuel giddy excitement in Minako nor did he understand why Ami's cheeks had been tainted by a slight shade of pink but he rationalized that it was simply a _girl_ thing to do and disregarded it.

"Well that's nice," Minako said in a teasing voice as she nudged Ami under the table.

The young blunette quickly regretted her choice to invite Minako to the table. Originally she had anticipated that her invitation would spare her from 21 questions when being reunited with the others but it seemed that regardless of her actions, Minako was always going to instigate this situation.

"Wufei and I have both been doing volunteer work at the orphanage so we often go to eat as _friends_ after the work is done," Ami frigidly stated as she picked at her stack of French fries.

"Oh so you're a humanitarian like my good friend here, huh?" Minako asked as she leaned forward with her elbows propped on the table and her chin resting in the palms of her hands.

Wufei raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"That's very interesting," Minako said. "Tell me more about yourself, Wufei."

"Minako," Ami said quickly in reprimand.

"What?" She replied with an innocent smile. "I'm just curious."

"It's fine, Mizuno-san," Wufei had replied. He was mildly uncharacteristic with his docile temperament at the moment, which had silently piqued a sense of inquisitiveness in Ami. Minako, on the other hand, was somewhat disappointed at hearing him address Ami so formally.

"Maybe we could make a game of this," he said. Minako was sparked and nodded eagerly for him to continue. Even Ami had seemed interested. "We ask any question to any person at this table and they have to answer. Then the person that answers gets to ask the next question."

"Alright," Minako said with a smile. "I'm up for it. How 'bout you Ami-chan?"

Ami shrugged, not seeing the harm of it. "Sure, why not?"

Wufei smirked, knowing first hand that his questions would be much more angled than they'd probably even notice. Though he felt slightly shamed by the idea that he'd be taking advantage of their ignorance, he rationalized that it was respectable given that Ami was very sharp and Minako was cunning enough to last this long without detection. In essence, he found the intellectual playing ground to be quite even despite the fact that so far he was in control without them knowing it exactly

"So what if we don't want to answer a question," Minako asked before they started.

"Then you get the bill," Wufei replied.

Minako frowned as she contemplated whether she wanted to do that and heard a laugh to her side.

"Honestly, Minako-chan, what type of questions do you think we'd ask you?"

"You never know," Minako said with a laugh of her own. "These things can sometimes get crazy."

"Are you still in then?" Wufei asked as he watched her with his focused gaze.

There was a brief pause as both Ami and Wufei waited for Minako's response. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully until a smile spread across her lips.

"You can ask anything, right?" She said.

Wufei nodded. "You have free reign."

"I'm in," Minako replied with mischief in her eyes that made Ami nervous. "Waiter," she said. "Can I get another milkshake and some fried zucchini? Mr. Chang's feeling generous and wants to cover the bill." She gave him a playful wink and he scoffed in response.

"So who's first?" Ami asked.

"I'll start," Wufei said. "This one will be easy. How did you two meet?"

"Simple," Minako replied first. "School. My turn."

"Not yet," Wufei hastily responded. "It can't be a one word answer. You have to go into detail."

"Ooh, okay," Minako said with a nod. "Well then we first met when…" she paused as she scratched her head. "I think we met in Algebra—wait, no. Oh it was—"

"At Rei's shrine," Ami answered intermittently as she recalled the day. "She came walking up with her cat and since then we were friends."

"Ah, yup, that is how it happened," Minako muttered.

"You were instantly friends?" Wufei asked.

"I believe that's another question, Mr. Chang," Ami teasingly replied.

"Tch, I guess it is," he grunted as he leant back in his seat and rested an arm across the top of the booth. Minako's eyes scoured the impressive curves of his biceps in approval without notice. He was in shape and now that she looked at him, he was quite handsome too. "Your turn then."

"Where are you from?" Ami asked without hesitation, knocking Minako from her daydream and back to reality.

"L5," he responded.

"L5?" Minako inquired. "Where is that?"

"It's a space colony located at a 60 degree angle from the moon and orbits opposite of colony L4," he answered.

"You're from space?" Minako gawked at him as she momentarily paused from sipping her milkshake. All that other information that he rattled off was quickly forgotten.

"That's your second question but I'll humor you," he said. "Yes. I am from space."

"Wow, you've come a long way then spaceman," Minako said with a grin. "That's pretty awesome."

"That is quite extraordinary," Ami said with a nod. She was now reeling with questions to ask simply from realizing his origins. "It's your turn again."

"Okay," he said as he silently contemplated his next question. "This one is for Ami."

"Is it now?" Minako prodded as she waggled her eyebrows at Ami who had rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you compete in competitive swimming?" He had known that Minako was once active with volleyball but didn't want to focus his questions on her and raise suspicions. If he asked Ami a sports-minded question first then he figured he could ask Minako a similar one on his next turn and not gain any unwanted attention.

"Good question!" Minako praised. "Why aren't you on the swim team Ami? You're much faster than any of them."

Ami's cheeks were flushed with flattery. "I uhh, I just," she stammered. "I don't really have the time for it I suppose. Actually, I don't think I'd really care to make time for it even if I could."

"Why?" Minako asked. She had become much more invested in hearing a more in depth explanation than Wufei had and he was the one to bring up the topic. "And be honest!"

"Well, to be completely honest," she said hesitantly. "I'm already quite competitive scholastically that I didn't want to earn more enemies by being competitive athletically as well."

Her response was quite a shock. Minako had expected her answer to be something like she was too shy when in reality Ami was just concerned that she'd make even more people jealous of her. How she managed to explain herself without coming off as conceited was a miracle in and of itself. But if anyone could do it, it was Ami.

"You shouldn't be so concerned about what others think," Wufei said sternly. "You've got a skill that can't be matched and you should exercise it by pitting it against other top swimmers. You'll never truly know how great you are until then."

Though his tone was somewhat condescending, both Minako and Ami were partial to believing that somehow he was trying to compliment her.

"Ooh, he's a charmer," Minako whispered in Ami's ear with a hand covering the side of her face so he couldn't hear her. Ami gave her a stern look before clearing her throat.

"I appreciate your advice, Mr. Chang," she said. "I will certainly consider it in the near future perhaps. But I do believe I'm the one with the question and this one's for Minako."

"Alright, shoot," Minako said as she took a bite of a zucchini.

"What's your deal with Heero Yuy?"

Minako almost choked on her food and hastily grabbed Ami's glass of water and gulped it down to clear her throat. "Waiter," she cried. "Another water please."

Ami had to smother an amused laugh as she waited for a response while Wufei had become slight intrigued himself about what she might say.

"Ami, that's not fair!" Minako whined.

"Are you offering to pay the bill then?" Ami asked. Though Ami was known to be the kind one, she was quite gifted at retaliating when she really wanted to be. With a mind like hers how could she not? Besides, she felt that if she'd asked something hard then Minako would loosen up on her suggestive gestures after realizing that Ami knew a lot about her and could ask a number of questions that she didn't want to answer.

"You know I can't do that," Minako said.

"Then perhaps you should've reconsidered extending your own order."

Wufei couldn't keep from smirking. He wasn't necessarily accustomed to small group meetings in such a casual setting but for some odd reason this particular situation was starting to become entertaining, and dare he say it, comfortable.

"Alright," Minako said with a tight jaw. She didn't quite know how she was supposed to say this or if it would somehow escape the privacy of this booth but she knew Ami wouldn't let her off the hook unless it was the God-honest truth. "I think I might arrhhmm herr hmm." Minako said as she buried her head in her arms.

"What?" Ami said with a perplexed expression on her face. "I can't hear you."

"I think I arrhhmm herr hmm," Minako repeated.

"Say that again," Ami said as she scooted in closer. Even Wufei was leaning in to try and catch Minako's muffled phrases.

Exasperated by the situation, Minako threw her arms up in defeat and embarrassedly exclaimed, "I have a major crush on him, kay? Are you happy now?"

Ami's eyes widened in shock as Wufei huffed without surprise. "You do? I always thought it was something else."

"No," Minako replied. "It's not."

"Why are you so hesitant to admit it then?" Ami asked, completely foregoing their game in favor of finding out more about her friend's strange behavior.

"Because," Minako said with a slight whine. "My parents love him."

It was Wufei's turn to be perplexed as he raised an eyebrow in question. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes!" Minako exclaimed.

Wufei rubbed the small ache in his right temple and shook his head. Female logic was so confusing.

"Then he had to go and help me at the mall and I know he didn't mean anything by it but I just," she paused and gave a big exhale before burying her head back into her arms. "He just brought back all those fairytale endings."

"Oh," Ami said as she consoling rubbed Minako on the back. She had been stricken by the love-bug and not only had her parents given approval but she felt as though she lacked control and was reverting back to her naïve youth where she believed fairytales were actually possible. Ami understood this perfectly, but Wufei was completely clueless.

"I take it the game is over," Wufei said as he watched the two females across from him. Now that he thought about it, it was quite a remarkable feat to have lasted so long in their company without going crazy.

"Not yet," Minako said as she shot up from her previous position. "I didn't bring money and I intend on getting a free meal at your expense."

Wufei scoffed indignantly at the prospect that she had seen him as such a dull threat. "Good luck," he stated confidently as he awaited her question.

"Have you ever once romantically fantasized about Ami-chan?"

Wufei huffed with disbelief and looked the blonde in the eye before glancing at the blushing blunette beside her.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered beneath his breath.

"Com'on," Minako egged. "Answer the question."

He didn't know why he had done it but all of a sudden his eyes had shifted completely to Ami who had tried not to look at him and sat stiffly with her hands tightly clasped together, and her cheeks rosy with discomfort. He scanned the smooth cream color of her skin from her chin down to the white straps of her dress that were tied in a neat bow at the base of her neck. The thin blue strings of her bathing-suit poked out from beneath her dress and immediately he had picture of her comfortably laying on the beach in her two-piece with a book in hand and her seawater-bathed hair hanging limply against her flawless skin. Then he imagined a whole onslaught of other things that he was certain he shouldn't have.

"Damn it," he cursed as he quickly looked away.

Minako was about to egg him on more for a response but was stalled when she heard him speak.

"Waiter," he said, making Minako nervous as she half-expected him to order more food to prove that she wouldn't win this one. Ami, also, was on pins and needles as she listened for what Wufei would say next. "Check please."

As Ami's face paled completely, Minako's had brightened significantly. Being a man of honor, Wufei had already known that he would walk both of them home because it was simply a man's duty to do so when women were involved. Hence, he knew it would be the longest walk of his life.

* * *

Heero had been called away in the middle of the main course and departed for the evening in pursuit of a task that neither of the girls, nor grandpa, had knowledge of. Rei was rather disappointed and even more irked when realizing that the strange air about Trowa and Duo was still looming over their heads. She was, however, appeased by her grandfather's contentment and reasoned that was enough for her to be able to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Frazzled and fatigued, Usagi was still seated between the two brunettes. The only thing that had changed was that Makoto was now trying to help her out by attempting to diffuse whatever strangeness was running at the table.

"You know, Minako is single," she said. "And she's blonde."

Usagi sweat-dropped at Makoto's statement and watched as Duo and Trowa didn't take the bait. Quatre was surprisingly amused by the uncomfortable dynamic and made Usagi wonder whether he was a bit darker than he had originally appeared to be. But as the night progressed, she just couldn't imagine him as anything other than sweet and cordial no matter how amused he may have seemed.

Rei made no notion to step in at all. Occasionally, she would make conversation with Quatre who had no further luck with Makoto after she had decided that helping Usagi was more important.

"Hino is a very strong name in business," Quatre said. "Do you have any relation to—"

"He's my son," Grandpa Hino piped in before Rei could make a bitter response. She unconsciously stabbed at her sliver of dessert and made a loud clinking sound which had attracted the brief attention of all at the table.

"Really," Quatre said with intrigue.

"Yes," Grandpa answered as he glanced towards his granddaughter who had now pursed her lips in contempt and pushed around her dessert with her utensils. "We've been out of touch for quite some time but he sends gifts periodically to show his love."

Rei scoffed at that. By gifts, grandpa meant money and to Rei that wasn't love at all. Everyone at the table was fully attentive now and looked up in curiosity.

"That boy is your son?" Hana had asked in surprise. "You've raised such a successful young man!"

"Well he did it all his own, really. That type of business work is way over my head," Grandpa said as he scratched his back.

A sickness sprung up in the pit of Rei's stomach and rapidly it crept up through her organs in a threat to reach her lips. She could hardly handle listening to her grandfather speak so highly of her father and reached for her napkin to dab what residue might have landed near her mouth.

"Please excuse me," she said as she stood from her seat.

Grandpa looked up in concern which only amplified when Rei had seemed to of frozen in her place. Her eyes went void and the color in her skin rushed away to leave a ghostly pallor of white as Goosebumps rippled across the expanse of exposed skin.

"Rei?" Usagi said with panic but she couldn't hear them.

Rei suddenly gasped and started to fall but was quickly apprehended by Trowa's swift movements. He could feel her shivering until the life finally returned to her amethyst eyes and she blinked a couple times before completely returning to them.

She looked to Makoto first with that stern expression that only meant one thing and immediately the brunette had known what type of epidemic had just passed.

"Sit her down," Duo said and Trowa complied as he gently guided her to her seat.

"Rei-chan are you alright?" Usagi's Clearwater blue eyes were peering at her from her knees as she rested her hands in Rei's lap.

"I'm fine," Rei said in reassurance. "I think I just stood up too quickly." She waved her hands to motion for them to give her space. "I'm just exhausted and need some rest. There's no need to panic."

The men looked to each other before settling back on the raven-haired girl that had given them all a small fright. Grandpa stood up soon after and grabbed his coat along with Rei's.

"Let's go home then," he said. "You work way too hard to be kept up all night."

Rei felt guilty to have spoiled the night but nodded nonetheless. She shrugged on her coat and blinked in surprise when Duo was there offering a hand to help. She grabbed it and he sturdily lifted her to her feet.

"I have a car that could take you home," Quatre offered but Grandpa refused.

"You've already done so much, my boy, I'd hate to take even more advantage of your kindness than I already have," he said. "We do thank you for this wonderful evening." He bowed respectfully and went back to tending to Rei who had now been leaning on Makoto's shoulder. By the finality in Grandpa's tone, Quatre had known there would be no convincing him otherwise.

"Make sure Usagi gets home safely," Rei whispered to her brunette friend before her Grandfather or Duo had returned to her side. "And be careful." Makoto nodded. She was already anticipating a long night as her eyes fell upon Usagi's concerned face.

"I'll go with you," Usagi said as she hastily grabbed her coat. She chased after Rei before Makoto could do anything but returned after Rei had brazenly told her to go home and stop worrying about her. Duo reassured her that he'd keep a careful eye on her but Usagi was still alarmed.

"Why does she always have to be so stubborn?" she asked in frustration.

"Honestly, Usagi, if Rei had said yes then I'd be more concerned," Makoto said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if she wasn't herself and let you come without arguing then I'd be scared as hell. But she didn't so she must be feeling fine enough. I'm sure she was just exhausted like she said."

Usagi nodded slowly in response as she started to understand.

"We can go check on her in the morning though, if you'd like," Makoto suggested. Usagi smiled at that and nodded.

Both Makoto and Usagi thanked Quatre profusely for his kindness. Makoto had even tried to leave a tip as she dug into her pockets for cash but was stopped by Quatre's insistence. He offered them a ride home and this time he would not let them refuse. The ride was quiet but Quatre had expected it being as their friend was still on their mind. When they reached Usagi's home, Makoto had opted to leave too and bid them farewell. All that was left was Trowa in the backseat as Quatre drove.

"That was quite strange behavior at the restaurant," Quatre said as he drove from Usagi's residence.

"It was," Trowa agreed. "I wonder what was truly wrong with Miss Hino."

Quatre laughed. "It wasn't her behavior that I was referring to." He glanced towards the brunette in his rear view mirror and signaled to turn left.

Trowa scoffed and stayed silent as he stared out the window to watch the pelting rain hit against the concrete of the sidewalks. The Hinos and Duo certainly had a tiring walk ahead of them.

"I'd never imagined you would grow attached to a target."

A deep frown was turned upon Trowa's lips as he looked forward.

"She's an innocent girl and Duo is Duo. She doesn't need to be toyed with by someone like us."

Quatre huffed.

"Someone like _us_?" He inquired. "I guess you've already excluded the possibility of yourself hmm?"

There was a long period of silence before anyone had spoken. Trowa in particular was uncomfortably debating Quatre's question.

Usagi had been the most genuine person he had ever met. Even more genuine than Quatre, which he thought was impossible. He sat back and reviewed the time he spent with her and why he had started to value her particular friendship above that of his comrade, Duo. It was just the way she made him feel. In her eyes was forgiveness that knew no bounds. She made him believe that no matter what he had done before, he could be forgiven and that he could actually change. He supposed that was why he felt she needed to stay away from Duo who he had only seen to a corrupting force in this situation.

He sighed in exhaustion and closed his eyes as he rested his head on the backseat and listened to the pelting rain. This mission was getting away from him and he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue with it anymore.

"This is a mission," he stated finally. "You should've known from the start that I had already excluded myself before we had even come here."

* * *

Rei's breathing was staggered as she struggled to keep up with her Grandfather and Duo. She tugged on the plastic shield protecting her head and tried to muster up strength to go faster but a culmination of long-stored anxiety of the senshi investigation, sleepless nights and the unexpected vision/sixth-sense feeling she got proved to be too much at the moment.

"Com'on sweetheart," Grandpa had said. "We're almost home."

He would've carried her if he could. But he was coming off of a recent sickness and hadn't tried to carry her since she was eleven and she had grown quite a bit since then. She nodded and trudged along, feeling more lethargic than she cared to be. It hurt to be a hindrance and Grandpa could see her frustratingly trying to be okay though clearly she was not.

He glanced around behind him to see where Duo had been but couldn't see him and he nearly cursed at the realization that the brunette may have walked on ahead of them without concern for Rei. Perhaps Rei was right when she said that he was a freeloader. Truly disappointed, Grandpa huffed and quickly spun around when he heard a sharp gasp from his granddaughter.

"Rei?" He called out as he turned. "Are you—"

"What the hell are you doing Maxwell?" Rei seethed as she found herself in the arms of her father's apprentice. He was surprisingly strong, which wasn't expected, and carried her with ease despite her feeble struggle to shake herself free.

"Face it babe, you're dead weight and if you and grandpa both stay in the rain too long there's a high likelihood that you'll both get sick. And truthfully I'm not that great of a caregiver so we can't have that."

Grandpa almost had tears in his eyes at the scene. Every bad thought of Duo was washed away with the rain as he felt his heart leaping with satisfaction that his choice of an apprentice had actually been a good one.

"You could've told me you were going to do that," she barked. "I nearly had a heart-attack!"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you would've said okay if I told I was going to pick you up and carry you home," Duo said, his cobalt blue eyes meeting her amethyst gaze.

Rei's cheeks turned a light shade of pink but luckily it wasn't noticeable. She bit down on her tongue and looked away.

"That's what I thought," he said as he followed after Grandpa who had sped up. "You know babe, you're a lot lighter than I expected. When we get home we should really fatten you up. This is way too skinny."

"Shut up Duo," Rei retorted as she crossed her arms and reluctantly settled her head against his chest. There were so many things wrong with his statement that she was yearning to pick at but she refrained for the sake of making this walk less stressful. As the silence enveloped them and the unexpectedly smooth gait of her brunette carrier lulled her, she had found her eyes shutting in a much needed slumber.

* * *

That was pretty long, I'd say. Life has been busy so writing has been sparse as I'm sure is true with many of us XD. Nevertheless I hope this chapter was enjoyable. On another note, it looks as though this story is going to be longer than I expected. Many thanks to all you readers and writers. Your continued support is truly appreciated. Special thanks to aquafina rain, Pocky of NyaNyaLand, leafstone, Crispywheat, HarryPotter and TrowaBarton, TopazDragon, anonymous guest, Sadekuuro, Sunshine Fia and MegaKat for taking the time to leave reviews. They were all so encouraging and helped a lot with motivation! Any comments, questions or concerns are always welcomed.

4Shame


	12. Chapter 12

Heero watched the scene before him unfold without any intent to intervene. In the bright white room men and women stood divided into two distinctive groups, save a few exceptions. A quarter of the people in the lab filled with stainless steel tables and various machines had been clothed in slacks, a button-up shirt and a white lab coat while the majority stood in the standard blue police attire with their hats firmly in place. The lead in the investigation stood with broad shoulders and an unenthused frown while a shorter, distressed scientist wagged his finger in front of his face.

"You have no right to seize my experiments!" He wailed. "No right!"

"You're two weeks past the deadline. I have every right to take whatever you have regardless of your input."

Even with the dismissive tone in his superior's voice, the scientist, Dr. Kuhlz, would not submit as was evident by his persistent indignation. He roughly grabbed the lead's hand and yanked him back with unintended force. On instinct the officer had reached for his holster only to find that someone had already taken what he wanted. As soundlessly as he had entered the lab Heero had pilfered his gun and now pressed it firmly against the disgruntled man's left temple.

"Let's not turn this into a gun fight," Heero coldly muttered, the stoic tone in his voice sending chills down the older man's spine.

Surprise was pasted on every face in the room, as Heero and Detective Walsh stood frozen in their silent standoff where Heero clearly had the upper hand. Rumors of the young boy's skills were reignited as they witnessed the stony blue shade of his eyes reflect the small gulp made by Walsh.

"Getting a little carried away, aren't you?" Walsh had said, eyes flitting to the brunette just to his side.

Until now Heero just looked to be a normal boy with a careless disposition of common teenage trends but this single display had silenced that perception. It had appeared the boy and most likely his peers as well were being passive during the initial phase of this investigation. Supposedly with this unexpected intervention it seemed that perhaps they'd be a little bit more involved from now on.

"Hardly," Heero replied. He had wondered if any other officers in the room would think to pull out their own guns and aim them at him but was disappointed to find that they hadn't. They were all too busy gawking with surprise.

He scoffed to himself and lowered the weapon in irritation. Though these men and women had impressive reputations, neither one of them was living up to his expectations.

Dr. Kuhlz—who was previously riled up—now appeared calm and somewhat hopeful as he glanced to the boy then back to Walsh with newfound confidence.

"Finally someone agrees with me."

"Don't speak so soon," Heero quickly refuted. "Instead of focusing on our main goal the two of you are over here arguing like children. Am I really to believe that you're all the best people for this job?"

It was strange for everyone to be lectured by a teenager. Even Heero was uncomfortable by the shift in his position as a fatherly figure at the head of a bunch of directionless kids. He took a deep breath and shook his head to think. He was obviously there for a reason but that reason had eluded him until this moment.

"What's going on?"

As expected, Dr. Kuhlz was the first respond. Quatre's evaluation of the man being willingly open with his experiments as well as foolishly proud seemed to be an accurate description of him, from what Heero could see.

"These men have prematurely taken my research in their greedy little hands and are likely going to corrupt it!" Dr. Kuhlz yelled with dramatic gestures and that same index finger pointing directly at the pointed edge of Walsh's pale nose.

Heero's jaw clenched at the childishness still retained by Kuhlz and cut him off before he could run on into another tangent.

"I want a straight forward answer," he said with an indistinctive growl. "Not a tizzy fit."

Dr. Kuhlz face had distorted as though he were deeply offended but Heero didn't care. Fortunately one of the doctor's lab assistants had caught on to what Heero had wanted to know and took the initiative in explaining.

"Our draft humanoid Dox was deployed into the city to send off a signal that would attract the senshi." She looked alarmed when she had finally said it. Her hazel eyes twitched with apprehension while her lips twisted into a dissatisfied frown.

It was then that Heero had noticed another small group of people behind her with the same type of expression.

"Explain," Heero said before turning his entire focus onto her.

Dr. Kuhlz and Detective Walsh were both forgotten in the background while the assistant continued to speak.

"Dox is our attempt at safely fusing the DNA samples of our unknown specimen to a humanoid robot. We thought it would be the easiest way to plant a signal for the senshi since it would have the appearance of a monster while still maintaining surveillance footage through the installed cameras in its eyes. Our objective was just to mobilize and magnify the signal so the senshi would be baited in and not assume it was a trap. However, there were a few side effects…"

She gulped and by her hesitation, Heero could see that there was something wrong.

"There are always side effects," Walsh said with a roll of his eyes. "We're not looking for perfection, we're just looking for execution. You scientists are such perfectionists. I'll never understand the lot of you."

In annoyance, Walsh stood with his arms folded across his broad chest as if silently trying to remind the room that he was in charge and that he was no pushover by the display of his bulging biceps. He looked gruffly towards Heero despite the boy's remaining possession of his handgun as if to challenge him but Heero disregarded him and turned to Dr. Kuhlz instead who looked to be sweating bullets.

"What kind of side effects is she talking about?" Heero asked, eyes boring down onto the doctor.

His peers in the lab all looked anxiously towards him as they anticipated the truth. With a shaky disposition the doctor responded after swiping a hand through his frizzy gray hair.

"On multiple occasions Dox has overridden his programming in favor of its own agenda through violent action."

"Someone hacked it?" Heero assumed, or rather, he hoped. If someone else hacked in to override the system he was certain he could trace them and reinforce the firewall to prevent any future hackers but he had a burning inclination that things wouldn't be that simple. The blood in his body started to turn warm with adrenaline as if he had already known he would need to spring to action to prevent any casualties.

"More like some_thing_."

Accusatory eyes turned at once to Detective Walsh who stood dumbfounded by the new information.

"I was told your experiment was fully functional and well equipped to do what we had asked," he said in his defense.

"It is," Dr. Kuhlz replied. "But that didn't mean we were finished with it."

Rather than spend time watching the two go back and forth with accusations, Heero had dismissed himself and started rattling off orders while he reached for his phone. The idea that this unknown specimen had the capability and intelligence to override a manmade program was unsettling. Regretfully, he had realized that Quatre's suspicions had been viable after all. He should've known better than to take Quatre's admonitions lightly.

"Trowa," Heero had said as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Call the others. We've got trouble."

* * *

Makoto walked briskly through the streets in an attempt to find a direction that would lead her towards whatever had startled Rei. Not having her psychic friend or Ami's supercomputer at her aid was proving to be quite debilitating. Even some guidance from Luna or Artemis would have been appreciated but Artemis was in Europe and Luna had stayed behind to keep an eye on an unsuspecting Usagi.

Minako had contacted her moments earlier to find out where she was and she reluctantly told her the cross streets. Since then, she had been trudging through the rain alone in her shorts and a sugar pink raincoat that Usagi had leant to her. In retrospect she should've asked for a darker colored coat but she was too rushed to even think on that idea. All she could think about was what kind of threat was out there and she prayed with all her might that it wouldn't be a tough one.

She mindlessly turned a corner and hastily tried to spin around and run back, but it appeared that even her uncharacteristically bright coat couldn't mask her identity.

"Kino-sama!"

Makoto contemplated ignoring her and just continuing like she hadn't heard the girl but when she heard footsteps getting closer, she knew there was no avoiding this. With a groan, she unabashedly turned with a broad frown.

"Hey Risa," she deadpanned.

She could see a group of people crowding together behind the shorter girl, all dressed in black raincoats and blue jeans. It wasn't hard to guess that they were up to something since they had all been huddled together while holding equipment that made them look like a film team.

"Out late aren't you?" Risa said with a smile.

Makoto shrugged. "It's only ten. I've been out at later hours before."

"I believe that," Risa said with a nod. As she stood with her hood pulled over her head to frame her dark bangs and big brown eyes Makoto was reminded of a fact that she had found to be disturbing. Risa was in cahoots with the same men that were trying to catch the senshi and she wasn't sure she liked that.

"Look Risa, I'd really love to stay and chat but I gotta get home. I'm pretty sure I left my oven on." She turned to leave, half expecting Risa to shrug her off and leave her be but she had also forgotten that Risa happened to be highly knowledgeable about her.

"Don't you live this way?"

Makoto wished she had thought faster and said she was late to work instead, since it would've matched her direction but she doubted that answer would help her now. She stood for a moment without movement, contemplating how she should handle this. Rei had briefly mentioned that something sinister was out there, but Ami's voice about finding out what Risa and J.R.S.D.'s true motives were seemed to be echoing in her mind. The rain seemed to be getting heavier as the sleets fell harder and nearly felt like needles stabbing at her bare legs. Small streams of water rushed across the gutters before sinking through the drains into the sewers.

Perhaps there was a way for Makoto to do both. She could tail Risa for some information and then give her the slip when she knew where the threat was. After all, she wasn't exactly sure at this very moment where she should be headed. So with any luck maybe the danger would just somehow fall into her lap. With a pensive sigh she made up her mind and turned back around.

"You're right," Makoto admitted with a shrug. "I do live that way. I was just trying to avoid another recruitment speech."

Risa laughed in response and tried to sling an arm across Makoto's shoulder but resorted to just linking arms after remembering Makoto was significantly taller.

"You sure know me well Mako-nee-chan," Risa said with a proud smile. "Instead of a speech, how about we just show you why you should join our cause."

Makoto scoffed at how easily she could get in and allowed Risa to lead her to the huddle of people that had been changing the lenses of a heavy-duty camera. Fellow classmates she had seen in passing were in attendance along with some adults that she had recognized from the grocery store. None of them were actually known on a personal level that is until she spotted one tall figure standing high above the rest of the group with a matching black raincoat that was bursting at the seems from his intimidating muscles. He had spotted her at the same time and gave an amused wave to which she returned with surprise.

"You got Spike to join?" Makoto had asked without thinking.

"Who's Spike?" Risa asked, as she tried to stretch her neck to see where Makoto was looking.

"Never mind," Makoto said with a shake of her head. Strangely she was smiling but she hastily shook it off as she focused her attention on the brown-eyed girl beside her. This night was certainly going to be interesting.

* * *

Minako was out of breath quicker than she had expected but she persisted nonetheless and made certain to conceal herself in the shadows of the rooftops. Just moments earlier she had been with Ami and Wufei with keen intentions of making Wufei confess his secret adoration for her friend but was stopped when spotting the blinking light at the side of Ami's watch. Minako had glanced over to her own to see if it might've been blinking too but was disappointed to find that it hadn't been. It wasn't hard for her to immediately piece together why.

"You know what guys," she said en route to Ami's place. They were planning to go over old Chemistry notes, or so they claimed, and Minako just couldn't resist the urge to tag along. She had a strong inclination that they were speaking in code despite Ami's constant denial. "I think I'm just gonna go straight home. You two have fun with your chemistry experiments, kay? But not too much fun." She nudged Wufei with her elbow and laughed as she spied the bright blush creeping back onto Ami's cheeks.

"I should really walk you home," Wufei replied before she could run off.

"Huh?" Minako said with a raised brow. A moment of suspicion crossed her mind as she caught his charcoal gaze but she disregarded it quickly. "It's okay," she said. "I'll be fine. Besides, my parents would have a field day if they saw me being escorted home by yet another boy. Their pining over Heero is enough as it is."

"You mean _your_ pining over Heero," Ami slyly commented.

Minako nearly choked as she silently commended Ami's quick-witted response. "Let's keep that between the three of us, alright?"

Ami smiled with a discrete nod while Wufei appeared nonchalant about the entire thing. He didn't respond much to the revelation that Minako had sort of developed a crush on Heero. If anything, it appeared as though he had expected it.

From then on, she had been running and scolding herself for being more out of shape than she cared to be. It had crossed her mind to transform into Sailor Venus but hesitation staved that idea. The last thing she needed was a sudden run-in with a cop while in her uniform.

Amidst a leap she had stalled and nearly stumbled in her landing but able to roll out of a complete face-plant. She pushed her blonde hair over her shoulder and crouched down as she snuck to the edge of the tall apartment complex roof to peek down into the streets. Beneath a tall lamppost was a huddle of people ranging from teenagers to adults. She recognized Risa immediately and subconsciously dropped to the floor of the rooftop to make sure she was in no way visible. Only her sprite blue eyes and pieces of her blonde bangs could be seen over the ledge as she studied the scene before her.

After a few more minutes of observing she finally realized that Makoto had been present and silently hummed to herself. Moments later a carpool of vans pulled up beside them and Minako watched as Makoto reluctantly allowed herself to be ushered into one where Risa had taken the passenger seat. As the vans pulled back onto the road, Minako cursed and hastily picked herself up from her position and mindlessly chased after them.

* * *

Wufei glanced towards his phone and reluctantly pressed ignore before shoving the device back into his pocket. He knew it wasn't normal seeing Trowa's name pop up on the ID but he reasoned if there were an issue the others would be able to help out. This mission hadn't been too physically demanding or strenuous so he figured that wouldn't change now.

"Is everything alright?"

Wufei looked up in slight surprise and caught a glimpse of big blue eyes on a heart-shaped face with slightly pink cheeks and a red nose from the cold. Even with a shield of rain she was perceptive and he sometimes wondered if that skill was natural talent or something that was developed through practice and necessity.

"Everything's fine," he replied.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and continued on with a leisurely pace despite the weather that was pelting down on them. He was never really bothered by rain and it appeared that neither was Ami. She was well prepared for the weather and packed two umbrellas—one for herself and the other for anyone else that needed it. Wufei had offered it to Minako but she ran off before he could force it into her hands. Consequently, both he and Ami were protected by separate canopies over their heads.

"About Minako-chan," she had started to say after a period of silence. It had been making her feel unbalanced so she had to address it for the sake of her sanity.

"What about her?" Wufei asked.

"I'm sorry if she made you feel uncomfortable in any way. She sometimes has no filter."

Wufei scoffed. It wasn't hard for him to figure out that Minako wasn't very censored. He had seen her chatting away with Duo and seemingly enjoying it—naturally he assumed she'd be something like him.

"If you're talking about that question it should probably be me apologizing for putting you in an uncomfortable situation. I imagined some dishonorable things and have not only offended myself but you as well. The only escape I saw was to ignore the question and pay the bill. I hope you can forgive me." He meant what he said in all honesty with no after thought. He was always just blatantly truthful and never understood why people didn't particularly care for his shameless admissions or philosophy.

Ami's cheeks reddened and her fluid walk now turned to a choppy stutter step where she hesitated and was uncertain of what to do.

"It—Well I—." She fumbled for words to express herself and suddenly increased her pace. To her misfortune, Wufei had done the same.

"You're insulted," Wufei said as he caught up to her.

"Uh, no—just eager to get home," she mumbled. She avoided eye contact at all costs and hastened to her destination where she could get away from this scene and hope for things to reset themselves by tomorrow. She honestly despised Minako now for making this _relationship_ with Wufei more than it was supposed to be. She truly only ever saw him as a respectable colleague and now it seemed her perception of him had been muddled.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she felt his arm snake around her waist and yank her closer. Highly appalled she turned to reprimand him but was stopped in her attempt when he pulled her into a dark alley and roughly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Hold still," he demanded in a low whisper. His hot breath brushed across the bare skin of her neck and sent an unwanted shiver down her spine. Her back was pressed against the slimy brick wall and her umbrella discarded on the sidewalk.

She was starting to panic until she noticed that the extent of Wufei touching her had ended with just his hand clasped over her mouth while he looked to be peeking around the corner. He seemed as though he had spotted something and had pushed her into the alley to hide.

She lightly squirmed from his hands, which he allowed, and took a moment to breathe.

"What is it?" She asked.

He didn't answer her. Instead he plastered his back to the wall and kept a watchful eye on something unseen by Ami as she impatiently tried to catch a peek for herself. She figured it must've been something serious if it had gotten Wufei to react so swiftly. Bashfulness aside, she crowded Wufei and unintentionally pressed her chest against him while her hand subconsciously grazed his pectorals. She could feel him flinch beneath her and she muttered a muffled sorry as she determinedly tried to peer out into the street to witness what he had spotted before she even had the chance to notice.

The street was empty. Storefronts were dim and covered by metal fences as the street lamps were beaming high above them. She could see her charcoal colored umbrella rolling across the sidewalk forgotten and watched as it was blown into the street by the wind. It had stopped moving all together in a peculiar area in the middle of the street, which initiated an onslaught of physics observations in Ami's mind as she tried to make sense of it.

A small sliver of silver caught her eye as it extended vertically from the horizontal handle of her umbrella. Her eyes uninhibitedly trailed up to scan the metal leg as it grew thicker into the shape of a calf and immediately she gasped as devil red eyes on a face of sparkling steel turned upon her.

She instinctively rammed herself into Wufei who had grunted and somehow found an arm wrapped around Ami's shoulders as if to hold her safely.

"You push hard for a petite woman," he had said. His voice somehow seemed to knock Ami back into her senses as she pushed herself away from him to assume a position against the wall like he had.

"What is that thing?" She asked. There was panic in her voice though she tried to hide it.

Wufei frowned. "I don't know," he said as he continued to keep watch. The humanoid stood at about six feet with limber arms and legs. It skulked around like an ape making what sounded like sniffing noises, which was strange for a machine. Sparks would periodically flash across its wired veins as it awkwardly examined the umbrella on the floor.

He now had a good guess of why Trowa had been calling him earlier and cursed himself for being so dismissive. Luckily he had been privy to Dox and known first-hand what it was capable of. What he wasn't expecting was such an early release of the robot. Test results in the lab showed Dox was highly volatile and Wufei doubted Dr. Kuhlz was able to fix that small detail so soon.

"What should we do?" Ami asked. Her own heart was racing as she was reminded of the beeping of her watch earlier in the evening. She didn't see a way to use her minicomputer to scan the robot without Wufei's attention so she was in the dark of whether or not it was a _normal _threat or that of the _supernatural_. A sixth sense was telling her she should run and find a place to transform but Wufei was exceptionally athletic and she was certain he could keep up.

Similarly, Wufei struggled with the same debate. If he had unsheathed a sword and attacked Dox then how would he explain himself later. Ami was sharp and wouldn't be easy to fool.

"Just stay still." It was all Wufei could think to say. If they were lucky then maybe Dox would move to another place and he'd be free to escort Ami home safely. It was improbable but at the moment it was the only reasonable course of action he could decide on.

Dox loudly sniffed the handle of the umbrella and licked it with its dry tongue that resembled a long-pronged fork. Its sharp edges poked at the handle with interest and Dox eerily rested on that single object even when small chatter had been heard and a door closed. A shop owner took no notice to the strange beast as she tugged her young toddler from her boutique and went to lock the door.

The jingle of her keys, however, had distracted the machine and its beady red eyes shot straight towards the pair. Dox cocked his head back and released an ear-curdling shriek of metal scratching together and startled the woman and child. By then Ami had been fully alert as her breathing hastened and her feet started to shake. On impulse, she jumped from the alley into full view and yelled her loudest to catch the machines attention.

When she was certain she had its attention, she sprinted from the woman and child as fast as she could. Wufei cursed and followed after them but no matter how much he tried, Dox would not change direction for anyone but Ami. Even with other pedestrians in its path, Dox shoved past them and raced on all fours like a panther in pursuit of its prey. At that point Wufei struggled to keep up as people got in his way. He pushed them aside but had lost a lot of ground along the way.

Ami's mind raced with what she should do. If she could find a secluded place then she could perhaps detain the machine in ice long enough to immobilize it. All she needed at this point was a place. Her quick thinking deduced immediately that the park would be her safest bet. With her destination in mind she made a sharp left and glanced over shoulder to see the humanoid skidding across the sidewalk in an attempt to change its direction but its momentum was too great. Adapting quickly, Dox had opted to run across the sides of the building, breaking windows as it clawed its way across concrete walls towards Ami.

Her urgency increased and when she was clear of traffic, she flipped her watch open.

"Ami-chan! Finally done with _Chemistry_ huh?" Minako had teased over the line.

"Minako not now," Ami had stated in between breaths as she tried to speed up. Her legs were growing feeble and her lungs were sore with overuse.

"What is it?" Minako immediately replied, a stern look overtaking her features.

Too tired for words, Ami lifted her watch to capture the image of the humanoid hot on her tail and gaining.

"What the hell?" Minako couldn't have worded it any better than that.

"Exactly," Ami replied. "Meet me at the park."

She ended the transmission there. Why neither Rei, Makoto nor Usagi answered was beyond her, but she was forced to a halt when the humanoid barreled overhead to land directly in front of her.

A growl rumbled from its body as it hungrily lurked in front of her, slowly lifting itself from all fours to stand on its legs. Ami gulped as she inched backwards, her hands growing cold with apprehension. What she had done was stupid—attempting to lure the beast all the way to the park, that is. But she couldn't stop herself when she had seen that unsuspecting family almost walk into a fatal disaster.

Transforming at that very instant had crossed her mind but in the corner of her eye she could see outdoor surveillance cameras recording her as she stood there facing a machine. The humanoids hand started to shift and mold itself into a sharp axe-blade surrounded by a thick black aura. It was then that Ami was positive this hadn't been a normal threat and that it was no accident it had chosen her above all other prey.

* * *

Makoto yawned in complete boredom as she sat in the back of the van. The J.R.S.D. enthusiasts around her were a mix of shrieking fan girls, curious neutralists and overly serious ghost hunters, as Makoto liked to say. They believed in the supernatural and thought they knew all there was to know about them, but they had no idea what they were really talking about. How she ended up with them was somewhat mystifying.

"So do you guys do anything even remotely significant?" It was a bit harsh and she felt somewhat guilty after seeing their faces distort into hurt.

"Not these losers," Risa has said from up front, which seemed to be customary since the immediate reaction from everyone else was to roll their eyes and ignore her. With a smile Risa turned and motioned for Makoto to climb to the middle seat. With a huff, Makoto complied and weaseled her way up there.

"What are you guys really doing, Risa?" Makoto asked with a frown. She was getting tired of being carted around in a directionless van and much rather preferred to be directionless on her own in the rain.

Risa got quiet and leant towards Makoto.

"I was hoping you'd ask," she said, glancing briefly behind Makoto to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "You see, I didn't make this group for the reason that I said I did."

"You're kidding," Makoto said, trying to look surprised.

"Nope, I made it by order of the police. They wanted this group to distract the public from the real investigation of the senshi." Risa waggled her eyebrows like it had been a game-changing revelation but Makoto was quickly getting tired of acting impressed.

"That's incredible," Makoto said as she buried her head in her hands. She rubbed her temples to try and sooth her headache and returned her gaze to Risa. "But I still thought you didn't believe in this senshi crap."

Risa huffed and turned in her seat with a frown. In the corner of her eye, Makoto could see the light on her watch blinking but she hid it beneath her sleeve to keep from attracting attention.

"I don't believe in them," Risa said. "But I get paid good money to keep up appearances. That's why I wanted you to be in on it too."

Makoto's verdant eyes looked up to see Risa staring at her with a need for approval. Just in that short instant Makoto could pick up on Risa's conflict with herself and no matter how much Makoto wanted to be kind and say that she doing the right thing, she couldn't.

"So you'll discard your beliefs for money, Risa?" Makoto said with disappointment.

"It's not like this is serious," Risa said. "No one's asking me to kill somebody. I'm just taking advantage of the government's stupidity. I know they'll never find the senshi 'cause they don't exist."

Makoto's patience must've been wearing low because she felt herself tense at Risa's last phrase and she reacted much too harshly for something that she should've just ignored.

"And who's to say they're not real?" Makoto retorted with ire. "And why the hell would the police spend time looking for people that defend the innocent?"

She flinched when she realized she had captured the attention of the entire van. She looked over her shoulder to see men and women staring awkwardly at her as if waiting for some sort of speech that would clue them in on why she felt the way she did but it was never shared. Risa looked up in confused shock as though her idol had just said the unmentionable and she was silently trying to rationalize why she should agree with what was said despite her first instinct to criticize her.

"Amen sister," one passenger had said with a righteous nod. "That's what I've been trying to tell these fools this entire time."

A chorus of laughter broke out after that statement along with light razzing while both Makoto and Risa seemed to be in stale company. The van had slowed to stop at a red light while Makoto shook her head and felt her stay was rapidly turning sour.

"I should go." She reached for the door handle and pulled her hood up before going to exit. Risa had said nothing, which had been surprisingly painful for Makoto. Outside of the senshi Risa had been one of the few people she'd consider a friend but it seemed that friendship was close to ending. Without another word she shoved the door open and a chilling breeze rushed inward eliciting shivers and shakes all over.

Along with the wind came a deafening shriek that sounded like nails scraping across a chalkboard. The hairs on the back of Makoto's neck stood on end as that irrevocable feeling of urgency swept across her. The inhabitants of the fan plugged their ears and whined but Makoto had done the opposite. Alarmed and with haste, she rushed off and slid the door shut behind her. Piqued, Risa had straightened in her seat and watched as Makoto sprinted around the street corner.

"Hey!" She said as she slapped at the arm of the driver. "Hey!"

"What?" He replied in annoyance.

"Follow her!"

"Are you kidding?" He asked.

She looked him dead in the eye. "Do I look like I'm kidding? Hurry up, before we lose Mako-nee-chan! NOW!"

He grudgingly sunk his foot onto the gas pedal and screeched down the road in search of Makoto who had been gone before they even had a chance to catch her trail.

* * *

Ami gasped for air as the machine tightened its grip on her throat. She could feel her feet start to dangle as it lifted her in the air and she struggled to stay conscious as she tried to pry its hand open. The rain fell like daggers into her face as she tried to formulate a plan of escape but the pressure of a constricting mechanical hand on her throat was starting win over.

A large black aura had started to fester in the shape of a tail behind him and she equated that the humanoid's thirst for energy would soon be quenched. She could feel her consciousness starting to peel away and her panic would only invite it even quicker. With an almost helpless fatigue, she let her weight drop and felt her veins turn to ice. With an inexplicable burst of energy her eyes shot open and fixed themselves onto the machine. Her ice-cold hands grasped its wrist and to her surprise the metal had started to freeze at her touch.

Before she could exact that same treatment to the humanoid's entire body, it had released her with a loud shriek and she felt her body crumple to the ground. She wheezed and tried to pick herself up and run but stumbled in her plight. The humanoid shrieked painfully as the strange black aura surrounded the ice and attempted to pry it off, but when it was unsuccessful it angrily sought after the one responsible for its pain.

Dox spotted her sprawled on the floor in weakness and it hurled itself towards her until being temporarily redirected by a shower of bullets. Ami tucked her head beneath her arms when she heard the guns and felt a mix of emotions when sirens started blaring around her. Red, blue and green lights oscillated atop cop cars as policemen opened fire on the shrieking machine that crawled out of sight.

"Mizuno-san, are you okay?" She felt warm hands melt away the frost she felt on her skin and tiredly looked up to meet the verdant stare of Usagi's history partner. She was thoroughly confused.

"What are you?" She asked hazily before shaking her head to find the right question. "Why are you here?"

Regardless of how zapped she had been she was still conscious enough to realize that seeing anyone other than a police official or even Wufei was strictly unnatural. For a moment she had wondered if perhaps she were hallucinating but found it highly improbable when she heard Wufei's voice calling him by name.

"Where did it go?" Wufei had asked. Ami watched with fuzzy vision as the young Chinese man checked her pulse and her vitals before flagging down the paramedics. She thought he was asking her the question but apparently she was mistaken as Trowa responded with, "South."

The Paramedics placed her gently on a stretcher that she feebly tried to roll off of but was stopped by straps that they had secured around her waist.

The strange scene of Trowa and Wufei had implanted itself in her brain as they helped load her into the car. She could see Wufei whisper something to Trowa but couldn't discern what and she felt extremely frustrated especially when seeing the needle that was about to pierce her skin.

"No, I don't need that," she said, her voice drawing in Wufei's attention. Despite her disapproval, the medic had tried to poke the needle inside and flinched when it had broken. Perplexed, he grabbed another syringe and swabbed her arm once more before trying again. This time it stuck and he injected.

* * *

Minako had miraculously caught up to Ami's coordinates just in time to see the machine drop her friend and cry out in pain. Panicked, she grabbed her pen to transform until she heard the thick metal door to the roof top burst open with a loud raucous. She froze in utter shock when a crowd of people pooled out onto the roof all wearing jeans and matching black raincoats.

One particular man was large in stature and the first to take notice of her.

"Oh sorry ma'am. I hope you don't mind the disruption. We heard there was going to be robbery somewhere around here so we came to thwart it."

Minako stuttered, trying hard not to look behind her and attract unwanted attention. The crowd's muttering had managed to mask the shrieks of the humanoid on the street and she watched in terror as Ami was still on the floor with hardly any signs of movement.

"Oh well then let me get out of your way." She ran towards the stairwell to find a way to get to Ami but the other members of the group had stepped into her path. Sirens sounded like banshees and before she knew it, everyone had clustered together on the very ledge that she was just peering over whispering about what had just happened.

Once she realized the monster had escaped, Minako had taken it as an opportunity to slip past them unnoticed and pushed her way out of the horde of people. Police cars had screeched from their previous position in pursuit of the terrorist but as Minako would soon find out, the police should've stayed where they were.

Hunched over like an ape, Dox stayed planted between Minako and the stairway while the crowd of unsuspecting people remained peering over the ledge. She silently started to inch to her left closer to the fire escape with Dox predatorily following her with his crimson red eyes. It was a smart creature. Instead of running across the city in search of food it had opted to silently evade the police by climbing to the rooftop before they had time to follow. He had even managed to meld the door to the stairway shut without notice.

Getting braver, Minako had started taking larger steps towards the fire escape and kept her eyes on the humanoid that had started to skulk towards her. An upsetting scream pierced through the air and immediately Minako cursed.

Dox returned the scream with one of his own and barreled towards the foolish girl but was gruffly intercepted by the man with the bulging muscles. Dox scrambled to get out of his vice and scratched rampantly at his face with its hands when it saw that Minako was headed for the fire escape. He crawled like a roach from the burly man's grasp and lunged after Minako, catching her ankle in the process. She kicked at it but its grip remained steadfast on her leg and slowly started to pull itself higher onto her body.

Minako's eyes widened with panic as she emphatically patted the ground around her for something, anything that she could use to hit him off. She fruitfully got hold of a brass pipe and swung it with all her might.

Before she could make contact, Dox had bounded away from her to dodge it and roared as he scaled nearby buildings to build momentum. Minako took off running with determination and rejoiced when she felt the cold bars of the fire escape in her hands. Her mind reeled with a sequence of action that she would execute when she was clear from view but a searing white pain had overtaken her thoughts as her body was thrown back onto the rooftop.

She rolled across the ground and hacked out a spool of blood from her mouth before shakily trying to push herself up from the ground only to find a deep red start to bleed through the side of her blouse. Dox had perched himself on the fire escape and Minako winced when noticing her transformation pen had been at its feet.

The bystanders had all fallen unconscious by some spell done by the machine. The brave man that had previously tried to neutralize the threat was bloody in the face and Minako suspected that his energy had been drained by the way that the humanoid had now looked refreshed. The arm Ami had frozen was defrosted and shown like stainless steel in the moonlight.

The young blonde stood tensely on the rooftop with little to no idea what she would do next. At the precise moment when her shoulders had straightened, Dox leapt towards her. expecting the worse, Minako closed her eyes and had braced herself for impact. A quick breeze swept past her and she opened her eyes to see russet curls bouncing in a ponytail. Her vision zoomed out quickly to spot Sailor Jupiter grappling with the machine.

Jupiter's emerald hues were darkened with adrenaline as she took a fleeting moment to glance between the door and Minako.

"Quick," she said. "Grab your pen."

The door to the rooftop was starting to give way under the consistent work of the medics who had gotten the tools from the building's handyman and the girls knew it was only a matter of seconds before they would be able to break through. Newly rejuvenated, Minako had scrambled to her feet to grab her pen. As soon as she touched it, she threw her arm up to call on the power of Venus and let the light shower her with power in a matter of seconds.

The door burst open soon after. The medics rushed to the piles of unconscious bodies while Heero, Duo and Quatre trailed out after them. Dox rested in a pile of junk, a large steaming hole fuming with smoke in the center of its chest. The metal had been so hot that it flickered in red and orange as though it were still in the process of melting. Heero crouched down and reached into the humanoids chest to recover a chip that had been fried and short-circuited. Not even the film would be able to compensate for this monumental screw up.

"So," Duo said with a disgruntled sigh. "What smoking gun do you think is responsible for that?"

Both Quatre and Heero looked back at the hole in Dox's chest. Neither wanted to say what the other was thinking but it had become blatantly clear that there was a weapon here somewhere and it was quite possibly in the form of the senshi.

* * *

Rei jolted from her sleep when she heard the incessant tapping against her window and had to take a moment to clear her eyes before she could get up. She reached to the side for her rarely needed reading glasses and squinted at the shades of her window where a strange shadow swayed across the blinds. She threw her blankets to the side and tiredly moved towards the window to fearlessly draw the curtains open.

She jumped with surprise when a body had suddenly landed on the windowsill with impressive grace, golden hair billowing in Rei's face as she unenthusiastically fanned it away with her hand.

"Well hey there four-eyes. Or wait, technically since your psychic wouldn't you be considered five-eyes?"

Rei rolled her eyes and looked squarely to Minako to scold her until she noticed crimson spotting the girl's blouse just below the side of her chest.

"Get inside." Minako went in willingly, feeling slightly woozy as she landed on the floor. From practice she pulled off her blouse and warily found a place by Rei's coffee table in the corner. She could hear Rei shuffling through chests and cabinets in search of her first-aid kit while she leant against the table in fatigue.

"Minako don't make a sound," Rei had said as she returned to her side.

Minako was somewhat confused by that and she made to say something until she heard a door sliding open. She was alert and anxious as she shot upright and winced from the pain in her side. From inside she could see Rei's shadow against the paper walls along with a much taller shadow that she had assumed was Duo. For once, she wasn't too happy to hear him. Usually she would happily engage in conversation, but given the circumstances, she figured that conversation probably wasn't the best idea.

"I was just about to come check on you," Duo said with a smile as he stood in the hall. "You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Rei said with a nod. Her amethyst eyes trailed downward to the door where mud tracks had trailed to what she assumed were his discarded boots. She was curious about where he had gone but disregarded her questions with a shake of her head.

"I'll clean that up," Duo said with a sheepish grin. "As a matter of fact I'll do it right now."

"No, no," Rei said hastily. "You should do it when the sun comes up. We try not to use the lights during thunderstorms so it'll be tough to clean that in the dark."

"Okay," said Duo, a bit surprised by Rei's passive nature. He scrunched his brow in suspicion as a sixth sense told him something was up. "I'll just get you some tea so you can—"

"Duo please." Rei had placed her slender hands on his large left hand and wrist. Surprised, he met her gaze and let her eyes lock him in some strange state of hypnosis. "Just go to sleep. You've done plenty."

He glanced briefly to her room, then back to her and reluctantly nodded.

"Alright."

He could feel her eyes follow him until he reached his room and looked back with skepticism.

"Good night Duo," she said quietly. He knew there was something behind that door but for some peculiar reason he couldn't bring himself to refuse Rei's request, especially when she seemed so frail. It was a long night full of crazy events and he reasoned just this once, he would drop his suspicions and let one detail fly under the radar.

"Good night, Rei."

Once he closed his door, Rei exhaled and turned her head to the side before retreating back into her room. Minako smiled weakly in the corner and waved.

"I apologize for interrupting your midnight romance with your resident refugee," Minako teased.

Rei looked pointedly at her in silent reprimand.

"Since when did you become a comedian in dire situations?"

Minako shrugged, feeling the weight of the situation bore down on her all at once. It only took one night for her confidence in their ability to remain undetected to completely shatter. Her head was spinning with so many details that she started rattling off incoherent phrases to fill the uncomfortable silence.

"Ami-chan's in the hospital. Makoto—she—wouldn't listen. I—I shot—"

"Shh. Don't speak." Rei silenced her with a finger on her lips and skillfully distracted Minako by asking her to focus on holding the bandage on her side in place while she grabbed some ointment. She was of course alarmed to hear that Ami had been in the hospital but at the moment that information wouldn't help their current predicament.

It took every bit of restraint in her body not to ask what had happened as she methodically tended to Minako's wound. The blonde girl was now solemn. Her brows were knotted with tension, her lips had wilted into a frown and her eyes had stared hard into the distance.

That machine stained her thoughts as well as the beam that had shot straight through its core. She had noticed its eyes die of life and turn to a dusty grey before the machine crumpled to the ground like a tin can. It didn't disintegrate like the old enemies had, which was alarming. As she picked up to leave with Jupiter, they had both heard what sounded like a camera zooming in on them and it was with terror that they realized they had been recorded.

Jupiter tried to coax her to believe that the film had been destroyed by both their attacks, but Minako couldn't convince herself it was true.

Was there a live feed? And if so, just how many people had seen that? And more importantly, how many believers would be born by morning that weren't there before?

* * *

Action is hard to write. Nevertheless, thank you for taking the time to read. I truly appreciate it. And of course, any questions, comments, concerns, critiques, etc. are always welcome.

GottaLoveVenus: Thank you for your review! I am truly flattered by your kind words. I'm glad everyone is in character and I hope to keep them true to themselves for the rest of this story if I can manage. I trust you will let me know if I start to slip, yes? ^^; Thank you again for reading and reviewing!

Nerf-or-Nothing: It is always so awesome to hear from you! Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! And I am so glad you're still writing! You are an extraordinary talent so it is always so humbling to receive your input! I cannot thank you enough!

AvoidedIsland: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you like it! Hopefully it continues to be enjoyable!

suisei no mitsukai: Thank you for your review! Equal attention is very important to me. Sometimes I feel like I might teeter and give certain people more of the limelight than others but I try to balance it out in later chapters. The only ones that haven't been getting as much screen is probably the boys XD I definitely gotta work on that.

Guest: Thank you for your review! I was laughing for hours XD Literally.

Sadekuuro: Thank you for your review! I was pretty excited about that scene too XD It's good you were able to keep yourself from spazzing. That is quite impressive! I have little restraint so I probably would've gotten myself kicked out of class if I were in your shoes.

Oombala: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad the relationships are enjoyable thus far. Hopefully it'll remain that way XD We'll see I guess.

Alas, thank you all once more for your time and reviews. And for legal reasons I am obligated to say that I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.

4Shame


	13. Chapter 13

Makoto had known it probably wasn't the greatest idea to visit the hospital at such an unsightly hour but she couldn't help herself. The thought that Ami had to fend for herself while she and Minako had tried to catch up was deeply unsettling. The guilt wouldn't allow her the luxury of sitting at home pretending like she had no idea her friend was receiving treatment. As she crept hesitantly through the halls past nurses and patients she had tried to think up an excuse that would be able to explain how she had known Ami was there, but nothing seemed to make much sense.

She wasn't her sister. She hadn't been there when Ami was being attacked. And even if she had shown up to Ami's apartment to find it empty, it wouldn't explain how she had known Ami must've been in the hospital.

_Her mother's a doctor! _Makoto seemed to brighten at the recollection as the cogs in her brain started turning. That would be sensible to expect Ami at the hospital. If an officer asked her why she was there she could tell him that she was checking up on a friend who was likely to be there visiting her mother and act surprised when realizing that she was actually a patient!

She beamed at the fabricated excuse and increased her speed to the front desk. Her smile was soon erased when she saw the waiting room filled with multitudes of worried faces, young and old. Her chest felt heavy as guilt filtered in through her veins. She had forgotten how it felt to see the faces of victims' loved ones. The mall heist was shocking. Yes. But there were no real casualties like there were tonight. Somehow she couldn't help but think that perhaps if she had moved just a bit faster, gotten to the enemy that much sooner then maybe she could have spared all these people the heartache.

She cringed and forced herself to look away. The nurse at the desk tiredly acknowledged her, ready to redirect her to the waiting room with the others that had flooded the hospital.

"Who're you looking for?" The nurse asked.

"Mizuno Ami," Makoto replied hesitantly as she unconsciously tried to shrink herself when spotting a pair of police officers down the hall.

"You're here for Ami too?"

The voice was very unfamiliar to Makoto but she looked up nonetheless to see who had been asking.

The woman was demure and had strikingly blue hair that was short like Ami's but slicked back and out of her face. It didn't take long for Makoto to immediately realize who she had been.

"Dr. Mizuno," Makoto said with a bow, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

The doctor blinked a few times before nodding in response to the vaguely familiar brunette. She may have spotted Ami with her once or twice over the past four years but she never took the time to actually get to know her.

"You're a friend of my daughter's?" She had assumed as much being as the girl seemed to be genuinely concerned for Ami's wellbeing.

"Yes," Makoto affirmed. "I'm Kino Makoto the—"

"Ah, the chef," Dr. Mizuno said with a hum as she tapped a finger to her chin. "I remember Ami mentioning you many times."

"Has she?" Makoto was somewhat shocked but shook it off when she realized she might be coming off as a socially depraved girl desperately longing for friendship.

"Yes she has," the doctor stated, her foot tapping as if she was growing impatient.

Taking the hint, Makoto resigned quickly to her final question. "You mentioned that I wasn't the only one here for her…who else…" she wasn't quite certain how to ask without sounding suspicious. Luckily, Dr. Mizuno's impatience had egged her to assume what was being asked as she hastily spat out a response.

"A young Chinese boy by the name of Chang Wufei along with a few police officers. I shooed away the officers of course," she said as she massaged her temples, "they sometimes have no boundaries. But Mr. Chang was allowed entrance. He may still be in there but if you'd like to see her you may. I doubt she'll be awake though…"

"Which room?" Makoto had asked without a second thought. She had a slight acquaintanceship with Wufei but nothing past nodding towards each other as a greeting so she didn't think it'd be too awkward to see Ami with him present.

"507," Dr. Mizuno replied with a small huff.

"Thank you so much Dr. Mizuno," Makoto said with a bow. She scurried off through the hallway, unconsciously aiming her vision to the ground when passing the waiting room.

Dr. Mizuno stared after the brunette with a neutral frown and sighed before raking a hand through her well-kempt hair. The state of her daughter concerned her, of course, but there were strange test results that made her somewhat…queasy.

Upon admittance Ami's temperature had been severely lower than what was normal but her vitals were still fully functional as though her body was meant to work under extremely cold conditions. The technicians suggested it was a malfunction in their equipment that was responsible for the strange data but there was something inside Dr. Mizuno's mind that wouldn't allow her to accept such a basic explanation.

When she touched her daughter she could literally feel the ice start to melt against her skin, but as she looked at the young teenager unconscious on the hospital bed, all she could see was a healthy girl with some bruising and a few wounds that might possibly leave scars. Most patients that cold would normally look blue, disgruntled and uncomfortable. But Ami looked almost serene.

When asking what had happened, Mr. Chang had admitted that there was some strange creature that had appeared in the night and Ami had acted as bait to get the creature away from a mother and her child. It was quite surprising to hear that her Ami would do something so reckless. Something so brave but at the same time extremely foolish.

She had known her daughter to be so methodic and cautious that it was almost unbelievable hearing what Wufei had witnessed. She groaned as her head started to pound with all this information combined with the tension throughout the hospital.

Her perception of her daughter was starting to become unstable. What if her Ami wasn't at all the type of girl to observe and desist if she calculated the disadvantages were too great? What if she was this girl that Wufei had described to be motivated by impulse?

She shook her head. Ami was a reliable girl, one that she trusted to act responsibly without her constant supervision. But acting as a target without prior experience or background in handling such an extreme threat was far beyond irresponsible.

She truly could not believe such an act was even possible coming from Ami…if this was natural for her daughter to act without regard to the consequences, then exactly what else was her daughter capable of that she didn't realize beforehand?

"Dr. Mizuno."

The blue-haired woman turned immediately when hearing her name.

"Yes."

"Detective Walsh claims to have been given a signed mandate from the Prime Minister that allows him permission to act freely."

Dr. Mizuno rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So what does he want?"

"A meeting with your daughter," the nurse replied curtly, eyes watching the doctor expectantly.

There was a distinct scoff heard as the doctor stuck her hands into the pockets of her coat and proceeded to walk off. Normally she was cooperative with government officials but in light of their recent fascination with the fabled senshi and their disagreeable infiltration into the school system in search of valuable information on these same characters, her tolerance of them had shortened immensely.

"No."

"And if he brings the signed mandate?" The nurse asked, forcing herself up from her seat behind the counter as if it would project her voice further.

Dr. Mizuno shrugged, uncaring, and paused her steps to answer. "Tell him to take it and shove it up his ass. No one gets to see my daughter unless they're close friends or family. And make sure to ensure that same policy goes for all other patients of this attack, even that burly man with a grizzly criminal history. This is a hospital after all, not a police station. Be sure to remind him of that. If he should give you any trouble, kindly refer him to me and I'll be happy to take over." An amused grin crossed the doctor's lips as she nodded with satisfaction and resumed down the path towards her next patient.

"Yes ma'am," the nurse replied as she scratched the back of her head and laughed to herself.

…

Usagi awoke somewhat ungracefully and much earlier than she usually did on a Saturday morning. She couldn't say what it was exactly but she had a niggling thought that urged her out of bed. She did her best to ignore it, like any other school day, but part of her had already committed to the action of rising as the rest of her begged to stay asleep.

With her eyes fastened shut her arms had numbly thumped around for her covers before hesitating to rip them off. It was as though her body was heavily sedated and she an unwilling patient trying to pry herself from an unwanted slumber. However, Usagi had wanted sedation and this swaying motion her legs were making happened completely without her conscious knowledge. She yawned and turned, thinking that she had been in the center of her bed. But as she would soon find out, she had been on the edge and groaned with pain when she came crashing to the floor.

She whimpered as her eyes were forced open and sat up to nurse her red nose that had caught the brunt end of the fall. Hopefully it wouldn't bruise. Indignantly, she spotted the alarm clock on her dresser that read 6:30 AM. Another small whine escaped her lips as she lazily tried to climb back into her bed to reattempt sleep.

It was when the door had burst open that she jumped with surprise and fell back to the ground with a fist-full of sheets in her possession.

"Usagi wake up! There was…" Luna paused when she spotted Usagi sprawled on the floor with her eyes in a daze. "Rolled off your bed again, huh?"

Usagi merely nodded as she groaned in pain.

"Well at least you're up," Luna said as she ran to the closet to grab Usagi some suitable clothes. "There was an attack last night that landed Ami-chan in the hospital."

"WHAT?!" Usagi seemed to spring up at the news, her previous pain forgotten as she fumbled to untangle herself from her sheets. She threw the balled up linens back to her bed and started to strip. "Was it muggers? Is she okay? Was she alone?"

"Slow down, Usagi," Luna ordered as she yanked a dress off the hanger and tossed it to the panicking blonde. "It was an attack from our neck of the woods," she said, "I honestly don't know how you could've slept through her call. I thought we were past that phase of oversleeping during emergencies."

Usagi momentarily choked on her own saliva as her cheeks burned red with what appeared to be a mixture of embarrassment and shame. Luna could recognize that look from a mile away and she briefly shook her head in disdain.

"You do have your communicator, don't you?"

"Well-uh-you see…I sort of…misplaced it."

"Both of them?" Luna asked incredulously.

Usagi twiddled her thumbs together nervously as she shifted on her feet, the blue baby-doll dress hanging loosely around her shoulders. "Did I have two?"

Luna exhaled in exasperation and forced herself not to spring into a long-winded lecture given the circumstances. Instead she jumped up to the top of a chair and beckoned Usagi to turn around so she could paw the zipper shut.

"We'll discuss this issue when we get back," Luna informed with a scowl that made Usagi flinch. "For now we need to get to that hospital and make sure Ami-chan is okay. I hope you learn from this Usagi, that forgetting your important tools can lead to disaster for all of us."

Usagi nodded as she finished tying up her hair in its usual fashion. Her heart felt heavy as she anticipated the meeting with Ami. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself from crying the moment she stepped inside the hospital, but she would try to withstand it to the best of her ability. She rushed down the steps past her stunned mother with a hasty good bye and shoved her feet into her shoes before following her feline guide to the hospital.

Trowa had found the scene to be quite strange as he stood posted on a corner waiting for the pedestrian sign to turn green. A sleek black feline that he had recognized as Usagi's pet was sprinting down the street alone in the direction of the blonde's home. At first he disregarded it, but then it happened again and this time, Usagi was sprinting right behind her with an expression that was wrought with concern.

His brow was furrowed as he tried to make sense of the scene but couldn't seem to piece it together fast enough. Before he had even realized it, he had been sprinting after them, covertly of course, but still close enough to be within hearing range. Not that there was anything to hear. After all he was in pursuit of a girl and her cat. What words could possibly be exchanged between the two?

He slowed when he realized they were headed for the hospital. From behind a wall he watched as the cat stopped at the entrance and turned expectantly to Usagi who had opened up her arms with invitation. Immediately, the cat jumped into her embrace and he watched as the two entered in together.

It wouldn't be so strange if it were Usagi leading the way, but by the way the _cat_ had been acting, he was almost inclined to believe that it had been guiding Usagi…

He frowned in discontent at the ludicrous nature of this entire observation and tried to pry himself away but was grudgingly unable to do so. With the most curiosity he had ever harbored for this particular investigation, he went in a few minutes afterwards and dug for bills in his pockets to buy a small potted cactus from the sparsely stocked gift shop.

It was silly, he kept thinking, to assume that a cat should earn his undivided attention, but at the moment, his senses just wouldn't let him rest.

He followed them all the way up to the fifth floor where Usagi had asked the nurse where to find her friend Ami Mizuno and was promptly directed to room 507 which was nestled in a corner with two windows. One opening up to the outside and the other sandwiched between the hallway and the room.

Trowa cautiously observed as Usagi entered, watching her as she sat down on a chair next to Ami, Luna seated in her lap. She grabbed Ami's hand and squeezed, smiling faintly while hastily wiping the evidence of impending tears from her eyes before she released a large breath of air. He intended to occupy that space for a long time to watch Usagi and her cat had he not been recognized.

"Trowa?"

When hearing his name, he turned, spotting Wufei and Makoto, whom he had formally met just yesterday and was now eyeing him suspiciously. It was altogether unexpected to witness Wufei comfortably standing alongside a female without appearing as though he were suffering.

"Hello," he said with a bow, knowing that Makoto would ask the inevitable question and choosing to answer it so she could save her breath. "I came to see Ami."

"I didn't know the two of you were so close," Makoto said, an edge to her voice. Wufei gave her a side-glance before returning his gaze to Trowa.

"I happened to intercept her after…the incident last night and called the ambulance," Trowa said, still noting that Makoto was growing more suspicious by the minute. "By the way, Usagi-chan is in there now."

Makoto's eyes seemed to lose the darkness of distrust as they turned a glassy green and bounced to peer into room 507. "Oh," she said, suddenly forgetting both their presence along with her reservations about Trowa. "Excuse me."

She left them down the hall and hugged Usagi when entering the room, settling tiredly in the vacant seat next to the girl. Her lips parted to speak but they were well out of Trowa's hearing range. He watched them curiously, eyes trained on the black cat that was now perched on the backboard of the hospital bed, her tail swaying just above Ami's head as it looked to be examining the young girl's medical chart.

"What's the cactus for?"

With extreme difficulty, Trowa pried his eyes away from the strange cat to look to Wufei who stood with a placid expression upon his features.

"Ami." He answered turning the pot in his hand with regret. In retrospect he didn't really need to buy it. "How long have you been here?"

Wufei shrugged. "Since she was admitted."

"And Makoto?" He asked, his gaze again falling back onto the cat who had jumped down from the headboard and now circled around an open space on Ami's pillow before she settled there with her head lightly nuzzling Ami's cheek. He then saw Usagi's lips moving and read them quickly to pick up a name. _Luna._ She rattled off other words but he had trouble deciphering them with his attention being split between the blonde and the cat. In the corner of his eye he noticed Makoto sitting upright in her chair, her eyes also on the feline by Ami's head. Both she and Usagi nodded in unison, a small mention of Rei and Minako's name passing across Makoto's lips before Trowa's affixation was interrupted by the sound of Wufei's voice.

"About the same."

Trowa cocked his head and quirked an eyebrow to raise a question that Wufei had already anticipated.

"Supposedly she was going to sleep over at Ami's place to do some studying," Wufei said. "When she got there to find her apartment empty she came to the hospital to see if Ami was with her mother and found out she was attacked."

Trowa nodded. "And you believe that?"

Wufei sighed, not really concerned anymore about the truthfulness of Makoto's story compared to the guilt he now harbored regarding Ami's physical state.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be true." After all, he and Ami were planning to go over Chemistry at her place before Dox showed up. She had probably forgotten to mention that Makoto would be meeting them too. "Let's go deliver your cactus," Wufei said, no longer interested in speculating over the sketchy nature of the girls they've been shadowing for two months now. Trowa hesitated, casting a wary stare at the cat inside and shaking his head before handing the potted plant to Wufei.

"I just remembered I had some errands to run. It's probably best that I let you deliver this."

Wufei raised a brow and despite his curiosity for Trowa's strange behavior, he took the cactus and nodded.

…

Grandpa Hino hummed as he swept the porch clear of any dirt. Duo was still in bed which he allowed given it was a Saturday. Even Rei seemed to be taking advantage of the weekend as she slept in, which was rare for her. Then again, being as sick as she appeared to be last night had also been a rare occurrence so Grandpa Hino imagined if she was up as usual he would have forced her to bed anyways.

He sighed with contentment when he felt the warm sunrays wash over the porch and took a moment to stand there and marvel at the sunrise.

"Morning Gramps."

The old man jumped and spun around on his heels to spot Duo stretching out at the entrance with a huge yawn.

"Duo, you're up early."

"Eh, didn't really feel like sleeping too much," Duo replied with a smile, his hair neat and plaited as it hung over his right shoulder. "Besides, with Rei feeling ill I thought I'd get up early and get a head start on the chores."

Grandpa almost had proud tears in his eyes as he gazed at the tall brunette with a smile. "Such dedication is admirable! I thought for sure you'd be out cold until the afternoon since you got home so late last night."

Duo winced. "Oh so you heard me come in?" He said while scratching the back of his head in what looked to be embarrassment. "I was trying not to disturb anyone. Guess I gotta work on my stealth cause Rei heard me too."

Grandpa snickered in his stance and swiftly maneuvered his way next to Duo to pull him down to eye-level. A surprised grunt escaped Duo's lips as he was yanked down by the old man's short arm that had been slung around his neck. He had to admit the old man's speed was impressive.

"Rei and I have great bat-like hearing," he whispered with a smirk. "We could be in the deepest sleep and still be able to hear even the tiniest bit of noise," he explained while using his thumb and pointer finger to squeeze together and emphasize his statement. "Plus, Rei's psychic capabilities along with my spiritual gifts do make us much more aware than the average Joe."

"Ah, I see," Duo said as he meditatively rubbed his chin. "So it's nearly impossible to sneak up on you guys."

"Pretty much," Grandpa boasted happily. "Unless you're a specially trained secret agent well-versed in spiritual detection, stealth, and aversion there's absolutely no way you can catch me off-guard."

"Morning Grandpa Hino!"

The old man's arms flung helplessly into the air with grave surprise, the broomstick flying from his grip towards Duo who had caught it before it met with his face. A small giggle was heard as Grandpa panted with his hand clasped over his chest.

"M-Minako?" Grandpa wheezed in between breaths, staring with wide-eyes at the blue-eyed girl donned in Rei's khaki shorts and a loosely fitted navy blue knitted sweater.

"Sorry about that gramps," she said, scratching the back of her head in slight guilt, though it was very miniscule. "Didn't mean to scare you. Let's not tell Rei, kay? I don't want her to kill me for it."

"By the way, nice reflexes Duo," Minako said with a wink and a cute smile that Duo couldn't help but return despite the curious nature of her arrival.

"I try," Duo said. "Say Minako I never knew you were a specially trained secret agent well-versed enough to sneak up on _the_ Grandpa Hino."

Minako blinked with confusion, not completely sure what Duo had meant by that. "Uh, what?"

"Shut up Duo," Grandpa retorted with low grumbling sounding afterward as he yanked his broom from Duo's hands and resumed sweeping. "I'm off duty."

Minako scratched the back of her head, still not understanding what was happening around her. It must've been an inside joke between the two.

"When did you get in Minako?" Grandpa asked gruffly as he tried to hide the redness of his cheeks.

She blinked, momentarily stalled in her thoughts as the occurrences of the night prior ran through her mind in a flash that she warily forced away. "Last night."

Duo watched her from the side with an uneasy frown, spotting Grandpa Hino as he turned to squint his eyes at her in an expression that matched Duo's suspicions.

"What time?"

Minako shrugged, pursing her lips and flippantly brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I don't know," she said, tapping her pointer finger against her chin, "some time after midnight…or maybe before…"

The ease in which she vaguely responded made a large weight drop to the pit of Duo's stomach. An image of Dox lying in shambles with a burning hole in its chest flashed in front of his eyes along with a lingering thought of whether or not it could have been Minako's doing. He shook his head, trying to dissuade himself but every time he looked at Minako, he could only see the melting metal still hot from a fresh shot of unidentifiable power and that casual smile that was all too familiar to him.

"You do know Rei's feeling ill, don't you?" Grandpa said in a scolding manner.

Minako laughed, patting grandpa on the shoulder happily. "Of course! Why else do you think I would've come in the middle of the night? I was checking in on my friend!"

Grandpa huffed. "How'd you get in?"

"You gave me a key, remember?" She said teasingly with a wink, nudging grandpa playfully as Duo stood watching, his uncharacteristically silent presence going unnoticed.

Grandpa guffawed in disbelief. "You're the _last_ person I'd give a key to. I'd give Usagi one before you and I'm pretty sure I haven't done that yet."

Minako pouted in mock hurt and grabbed Duo's shoulder. "Can you believe this guy?" she asked, looking to Duo who hastily pushed a smile to his lips. "Giving Usagi a key before me."

"It makes sense," Duo said, the response leaving him before he even realized what he was saying. "She really knows how to pick up a person's mood." He should know. Trowa has been slightly more outgoing since his assignment to trail Usagi.

Grandpa nodded emphatically as a scoff escaped Minako's smiling visage. "Good point. I'd give her a key first too. But _last _Grandpa Hino? Really?"

He nodded and cheerfully continued the back and forth banter between himself and Minako, sweeping intermittently until the conversation became so interesting he had to pause to look the blonde in the eye with wild gestures.

Duo slinked back, watching them absorb themselves in a setting that didn't require his participation. He leaned back for a moment to take in Minako's figure, noting the small scrape on her left knee and a thin brown scab near the hem of her shorts on her right leg. That was likely to be the result of the mall heist incident.

He scanned her middle with intense focus, trying to watch the folds of the knitted sweater shift as she gestured back at Grandpa. For a moment the hem of her sweater rose, and he caught a glimpse of bare skin, creamy and unmarred. He almost finished examining her from his position against the wall until she raised an arm a bit too high and he noticed the sharp wince that forced her arm down quickly, and she subconsciously pulled her other arm over her stomach for a brief moment, her fingertips gingerly touching her side just below her bust and warding off any suspicions with a loud laugh that made her bend over at the waist. Duo didn't know what she and grandpa are talking about, but he suspected it couldn't really be _that_ funny.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you it's rude to stare?" Her soft voice startled him, and for a second he can hardly recognize it until he turned to spot her standing in the doorway dressed in distressed blue jeans, and a light gray tank with a simple black flower attached to a thin stem on the front below her chest.

The sight of her in such normal attire made him uneasy. Very rarely has he seen her in anything other than tailored clothes or uniformed outfits. Yesterday she went out with the intent to buy groceries in what he considered to be a female version of a business suit. Today she stood in casual, loose but well-fitted, clothes with her raven black hair falling to frame her perfect face and those all-seeing amethyst eyes.

It's the first time he actually realized how alluring she really is and how right all the other guys are about the mysterious aura that she possesses with such ease. He wondered how he didn't pick up on that before but disregarded the question when noticing the unusual smile upon her lips. It may not be unusual for others but for him, this is probably a first.

"I'm sure they would have if I had some," he said, almost bitterly but he shook it off with a lopsided grin.

She tilted her head thoughtfully, those eyes piercing through him as if she was trying to see into his soul. When she parted her lips to respond it was too late. She had been spotted and her attention was diverted.

"Rei! You're awake! How're you feeling?"

Grandpa rushed to her side and pressed a hand to her forehead and she laughed.

"I'm fine grandpa," she said, untangling a black leather jacket in her hands and shrugging it on. She put her hands behind her neck and pushed against her hair to pull it out from inside.

Grandpa frowned. "Where do you think you're going?"

Rei smiled fondly and Duo found himself highly unnerved by the foreign nature of this entire scene. First it was Minako, flippantly avoiding incriminating questions without flinching and hiding a wince so smoothly he would have definitely missed it if he weren't watching so closely. Then it was Rei, appearing docile and sweet to him of all people.

It reminded him of the reverence people have after a horrible disaster. Everyone is sweet to one another, they forget their differences for the time being and suddenly become grateful for the things they had previously taken for granted. He's seen it a lot. He has even taken part in that type of mood change. And as he observes the way Rei affectionately places a reassuring hand upon her grandfather's shoulder, he can see the direct correlations to his past experiences as though the scenes of his past were pasted right next to the image he sees of Rei and Minako who both share the same guarded body language. He never expected to see it in Juuban of all places, on the peaceful porch of the Hikawa shrine with a pair of teenage girls he's overheard gossiping about cute boys, fashion trends, music, movies and unfair homework problems just days before. For reasons he cannot express, he suddenly felt sickeningly tired.

"See you guys later!" Minako shouted, waving her hands as she headed to the stairs. Rei was close behind her waving silently and turning to catch up to Minako before she paused on the first step and turned back around.

"Hey Duo," she called over, catching his raised eyebrows and the small lift in his head as if the motion would help him hear her better. Her hair billowed in the wind, black and daunting as it waved across her face only allowing her calm amethyst eyes and delicate lips to be seen before she tucked it away behind her ear, "Thanks…for everything."

She disappeared down the steps before he could say anything back and the ache in his chest intensified as he solemnly rubbed the back of his neck with uncertainty.

"I think she's warming up to you," grandpa said with a broadening smile.

"Yeah, maybe." He sighed. In reality he hoped she wasn't. Indifferent Rei is easier to handle, easier to betray if it comes down to that. Thankful Rei is someone he never wanted to meet. Not now. Not ever.

…

Minako looked smugly at Rei who shuffled down the stairs after her with practiced ease.

"Have a nice chat with your boyfriend?" Minako teased, winking at Rei as she got closer.

Rei rolled her eyes, matching her pace to Minako's when they finally reached the base of the staircase. "He's not my boyfriend," she said, "but he's not as bad as he used to be."

"Ah," Minako said with a nod, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she idly continued down the sidewalk. "I told you if you gave him a chance you might be less inclined to torture him all the time."

Rei huffed, deciding not to add more about him since she wasn't particularly in the mood to rant about him or any other boy in her life. Right now she was more concerned about what had transpired last night.

"Tell me what happened, Minako," she said plainly, keeping her eyes forward and her expressions as common as she could.

Minako gave her a sidelong glance and nodded in response. "We should probably do this sitting down. But not at the hospital."

Rei looked to Minako in an expression that read clearly, _why not?_ Minako sighed, frowning as she uncomfortably rubbed the back of her neck.

"A few of the fainted victims saw me on the roof last night and they're likely to be in the same treatment area as Ami-chan. I don't want to walk in and stir up their memory about seeing me and have them wondering how I got away especially not if the police are there."

Rei nodded in understanding, slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see Ami. The upside was that Ami's mother was a doctor so her friend was likely to be well cared for.

"Then we'll talk about it at the arcade," Rei said, turning abruptly down the familiar path to the Crown.

"Good idea," Minako mumbled, following numbly after Rei as her heart pounded in her chest.

There was something in the air that made her feel heavy. An unseen substance that kept her head lowered and her eyes darkened. The pristine vision she had of Dox's red eyes dying into a dull gray haunted her along with the zooming sound of a camera. Things were changing rapidly and she didn't need Rei's psychic abilities or Ami's astute observations to realize that they were in some serious trouble.

…

The amount of attention paid to this mission changed drastically the moment the pilots saw the burning hole in Dox's chest and no weapon left behind to explain it. Before breaking through the door they heard the mechanical screams, they could hear scuffling, but when they finally got onto the roof, there was nothing. Whatever had taken down Dox was unaccounted for and left a useless pile of junk in its wake along with a horde of unconscious bodies.

Each of the pilots could recall the files they read concerning the senshi. They read that at all their fight scenes it is not uncommon to find bodies littering the ground. Death never really happened, but there were still bodies. They found that to be a strange detail since to them a motionless person was equivalent to a dead person. No one in their right mind would ever fall asleep on the battlefield, but it seemed a common practice here.

With that type of information none of them really expected these senshi to be _dangerous_. How could they? For one the senshi were suspected to be teenage girls and the estimated age of initiation was thirteen. Any thirteen year-old girls they had known were unstable and plagued with hormonal swings and puberty. Sure they had time to improve, but they doubted it was significant.

No one found fear in the image of a young teen especially not if she was prancing around in a sailor outfit, striking poses and yelling commands to emit _magical powers_. Those were what they called cheerleaders. In essence that's what the pilots had originally thought they were chasing—an evasive pack of cheerleaders that may or may not have special abilities.

As it turns out, they're a little bit more than that and it has become clear that they _do_ have special powers. Or at least, they're in possession of something powerful.

Along the stones on the roof Forensics found dried blood, which was collected and sent to a lab for identification. At different areas on the roof were black spots that edged out sharply in circles, the center chalky with a faint burnt smell. Forensics deduced it was thunder but that many strikes upon a single rooftop in such close proximity to each other was unheard of so it couldn't have been natural.

Another observation was that a weapon would have to produce a heat signature of at least 1482 C to tear through Dox and still melt the metal even after it's been released. The speed in which it would have to travel to achieve this great feat was a hairline slower of being the speed of light. Any such weapon capable of producing such a powerful force does not exist in Juuban and the only machines to carry such a dangerous tool are the mobile suits and Gundams, none of which are present in Juuban either. Even so, the length of the barrel required to build up speed and heat for a beam with such a small diameter would have to be at least twenty stories long, which would easily weigh over 10 tons. Transporting such a large weapon so quickly and discretely is unfathomable and with every scientific bit of information the pilots collect, the capabilities of these senshi become even more daunting.

There may not have been many deaths recorded in affiliation to their activities but it does not mean that won't change in the future. Not with this great power they've been harboring in secret without any real attention until this moment. They might be friendly now, but who was to say they wouldn't change their minds later?

It was an ethics debate that none of pilots wanted to get involved in, but given the first documented evidence since their arrival, they'd be stupid to ignore it.

Heero stood by the markers signifying where the bodies had been at the original crime scene. He shuffled sideways, with his his hands in his pockets trying to visualize a recreation of the events prior. A dispersion in the rocks suggested that someone was running until he spotted a small bowl-shape where he deducted that person might have fallen. He traced the area with his eyes and looked up to spot the latter to the fire escape directly in front of him. So the person had been trying to escape.

He shifted his weight and looked around, finding claw marks on the brick walls of a nearby building and picturing Dox scaling the side of it like he had seen in the street surveillance camera feeds from when it was chasing Ami. A small crater resided near the edge of the rooftop, hinting at being a landing point for Dox before he barreled towards the person that was bolting for the fire escape.

_Small feet_, he noted silently to himself_. _The runner couldn't have been larger than he was with the imprints it left behind. He took a few more steps forward before crouching down to survey the ground. He brushed his hand against the grovel, immediately imagining the scene as if he were there when it happened. _There was another person._ That much was evidenced by the scrape across the ground, larger impressions made by a person who carried more weight than the runner but planted themselves in that spot for some time while the runner circled around them to the latter.

Heero found himself standing there, looking plaintively at his feet to notice a slight disruption in the dust settling atop the roof. _They grabbed something here, then turned back around. _From his viewpoint he saw the thick metal door still ajar, yet to be placed back on its hinges as it rested in solitude against a steel pillar.

He raised a hand, using his thumb and his pointer finger to shape a gun and aimed at the area where he envisioned Dox grappling with a shadowed figure who appeared tall while the person he was currently impersonating was shorter. Bending his knees, he achieved the height he speculated would match the unknown runner and silently imitated a gun shot as he cocked his hand back and made a faint _bang_ sound. In his mind's eye he saw a bright streak of light sail across the space towards Dox's chest and watched as the machine stilled before toppling lifelessly to the ground.

Then the door was opened and the two unidentified people had fled.

"Recreating the scene?"

Heero nodded, not bothering to turn and face the newcomer as he continued to stare at the space where Dox was previously incapacitated.

"You're late," he said stoically.

"Got a little side-tracked," Trowa replied, walking forward so that he stood next to Heero. "Where's Quatre?"

"Taking care of the problems at the lab," Heero answered.

They stood there in silence, contemplating what their next move should be. Quatre's immediate plan of action was to shut down the unsafe operations manned by Dr. Kuhlz. He had received a lot of opposition but Quatre was wealthy with an overwhelming number of connections that made Dr. Kuhlz's feeble efforts to deny him futile. However, the issue of the senshi still remained but no one was willing to verbally indicate where they stood on the matter.

Trowa surmised that Quatre would likely become hesitant to pursue them, but in light of last night's activities he couldn't really tell for sure what he would decide. He himself had trouble ignoring the obvious power that resided in this city, as was likely to be the case for the rest of his comrades. That burning hole was a very rude awakening. If not for that large piece of evidence that a formidable weapon was hidden here, then they would have ended the investigation altogether with the untimely release of Dox.

"Wufei still at the hospital?" Heero asked. Trowa nodded silently in affirmation.

Wufei's position was slightly more clear to them. They could only imagine how the Chinese man felt about the events that landed his target in the hospital. He never did like to witness the weak being taken advantage of by the creations of mad scientists. Then again, Wufei was prone to surprising them so who could really tell how he felt about it all?

"Assuming that this is in the supernatural realm of things," Trowa started slowly, an image of the black cat flashing before his eyes as he continued, "how do you expect to draw out the senshi without a strange lure like Dox?"

Heero had been wondering the same thing. It was one of the reasons why he hadn't gone with Quatre to shut down the lab because he was partially inclined to consider that perhaps they needed that division in order to accomplish their goals. The senshi did not come out for the staged crimes they planted around the city in various areas. They had, however, come out for Dox. And it wasn't just one, it was two as far as he could tell which was way more than they could have expected.

"I don't know," Heero answered honestly earning a sigh from Trowa.

The wind picked up slightly, carrying translucent walls of dust across the rooftop, ruffling the markers in the ground as the two brunettes stood stoically in thought. The sun was setting, denoting the near end of the day that had flown by them both in a whirl. Heero imagined Minako as the runner and visibly tensed when it all seemed to fall into place. They were on the right track. Even without Dox as a lure, he was confident that he could draw her out of her illusion of security and expose the truth. But all that remained to be answered is would he?

He scoffed to himself. Why not? It wouldn't be his worst and that kind of power should not belong to someone so cunning. Some would say that about him. That he shouldn't be allowed to live merely because his skill sets were so dangerous it made him appear nearly indestructible. He didn't blame them for the wise accusation, but he was different. When others expected him to keep his Gundam, he sent it away to be incinerated by the sun. He had power, but he didn't want it. Minako has power, so he assumed, but what were her motives behind it? There was no war here. Sure she may have saved the Dox's victims last night but that monster's release had been unwarranted.

Dox's blueprints and models would be destroyed and in Heero's mind, its natural enemies should be as well. Just as all the mobile suits and Gundams were demolished at the conclusion of the war.

…

Wufei was now seated in the waiting room, which had emptied throughout the day as patients were released. Their fatigue, as the doctors diagnosed, was brief and most patients were fully functional within 24 hours. Only a few still remained that being Ami, a burly man by the name of Spike and an anonymous member of the J.R.S.D. Visiting limitations mandated only two visitors at a time per patient after 8 PM, so naturally Wufei let Makoto and Usagi remain with Ami.

He looked up when he heard knocking against the door pane, catching a glimpse of Quatre as he stood smiling with a bouquet of white water lilies.

"Hey," Wufei acknowledged quietly nodding in greeting before his comrade in arms took a seat across from him.

"How's she doing?" Quatre asked, placing the bouquet on the square table to his right.

"Fine," Wufei answered, his head momentarily hanging low before he straightened himself up to look Quatre in the eyes. "Her mother says she should be released by tomorrow. She had a few minor bruises and scratches, but nothing severe surprisingly enough."

Quatre nodded in relief. "She's a strong girl, Wufei. That much was made clear last night."

Wufei scoffed. "Was that strength or foolishness? Right now I can't decide."

Quatre made a small sound that was a hybrid of a scoff and a laugh. Wufei wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean and felt slightly perturbed by it.

"What?" Wufei snapped, glaring harshly at his blond friend.

"I just didn't expect to see you so..." Quatre paused as if he were contemplating his word choice carefully, the feelings seeping from Wufei to him so transparent that eventually he just couldn't hold back the word despite his original instinct to stifle it, "protective."

Wufei stiffened as he furtively reexamined his feelings and immediately denied the implications Quatre had made. He was not protective of Ami. He was just pissed off by the way she was caught in the cross hairs of an investigation that she didn't belong in. What bothered him more was that despite her logically induced day to day actions, she had done something that was completely out of character. She flagged down a feral beast and attempted to outrun it when she herself wasn't the fastest, nor was she the strongest physically. He had unwisely hoped that she had some type of secret agenda, one that would keep her from being hurt but as he approached her badly beaten body he went cold.

In the haze of this investigation he didn't realize that he had accidentally regarded her as a fellow comrade. One seasoned by war and experienced in trying situations such as he was. Last night's fiasco had harshly reminded him that she was just another civilian and scholar unequipped for the world that he had adapted to through necessity. She wasn't a trained soldier. Nor was she an esteemed member of this secret society of senshi. How could she be? She was just a girl with a sharp mind who naively clung to fantasies of heroes and victory without painful consequences. And Wufei was wasting his time on a dead end.

Wufei's sudden upheaval drew Quatre's attention. Curiosity made him lift himself from his seat to follow Wufei down the hall. The Chinese pilot stopped outside the window to Ami's room, his eyes trained on the picture inside.

Makoto had finally given into sleep, as did Usagi. They sat next to each other, leaning their heads on one another as their chests rose and sank steadily back and forth. Usagi's head could only reach Makoto's shoulder and Makoto's head easily landed over Usagi's. A black cat that arrived with Usagi that morning was seen curled up next to Ami's hand upon the bed. Tubes ran from Ami's arms to machine monitors that beeped periodically in a soothing lull.

The scene was like something out of the average man's day. When someone was sick or injured, loved ones came to visit. These girls were no more special than the people they interacted with in school or work. Even if Minako was among their circle of friends, there was nothing strange to be seen about them here.

"Why are we here?" Wufei asked, catching Quatre by surprise.

Quatre looked to Wufei then back to the window and frowned.

"To do a job," he answered.

Wufei's jaw clenched. "To do a job," he repeated uncomfortably. His eyes lingered on Ami who was peacefully at rest. As they skimmed along the length of her neck, he cringed, noticing the imprints of steel hands scarring her skin in dark purples, browns and greens. Along her arms were hideous bruises that looked tender to the touch. He could only imagine what other scars might have been left beneath the hospital gown and blankets.

She was his target and he had found nothing in her to hint that she was deserving of this type of treatment. Senshi or not, what happened to her wasn't right.

"A job for who?"

It was a good question. In fact, it was a question that he never once stopped to consider beforehand. He just blindly jumped in because he was angry and frustrated about the fact that they couldn't stabilize the space colonies for unknown reasons and this mission had claimed to have the solution.

He took one last glance at the three sleeping women and studied each their faces in thought. Whatever it was he was going to do, he had to be sure it was _right._

...

In a dark corner of the laboratory, Dr. Kuhlz milled angrily through the contents of his boxes, yanking out objects that didn't belong to him and tossing them carelessly over his shoulder. They clattered loudly against the glassy surface of the tiles, echoing annoyingly throughout the room fueling his rage as he continued the tedious task of sorting through his belongings.

Quatre Winner had stormed in on his team with intimidating resources, shutting them down before they even had a chance to appoint a good attorney or even present a substantial case stating why they should be allowed to continue. His subordinates were released immediately, left to find work elsewhere as the documents involving Dox's developments were shredded and destroyed. That boy, however young, was more menacing than he anticipated. If he could have foreseen that Quatre would bring his demise, he would have vehemently denied it with flagrant disbelief.

It appeared that outward appearances weren't always a clear indication of a person's power. Quatre had showed him that much. That boy, that _man,_ was unyielding and cold when he needed to be. Dr. Kuhlz saw it first hand when he tried to reason with the blond, throwing slurs of statistics at him and repetitively assuring that the remodeled and refined Dox would be better and easier to control.

Quatre would hear none of it as he flagged in his own team of men to officially close down this covert experiment in the senshi case. When Dr. Kuhlz approached Quatre with his last attempt to sway him, he quickly hesitated, gripping the disc tightly in his hands as he stared into those bold blue eyes. They were unmoving and _aged_ in a way that Dr. Kuhlz could not understand. He truly felt as though he were looking at a man close to his own age with a weathered gaze and a stern expression.

In a moment's notice he decided to refrain from sharing the last bit of evidence he had secured from the firing squad. He eyed the thing carefully, tucking it away in his coat pocket as he mentally replayed the footage that only his eyes had seen. He witnessed the strange behavior Dox had when it finally held that blue-haired girl up by her throat. He had cringed, of course. The ghastly violence in which Dox operated was menacing but Dr. Kuhlz was too overwhelmed by curiosity to sympathize for the pain that young girl must've felt in that moment.

When the girl's eyes shot open, they were an icy blue, the steel arm seen in the video turning darker before a shrill scream of pain was heard. Dr. Kuhlz watched as the girl was dropped to the floor, the camera wobbling uncontrollably until focusing in on the injured arm that had procured ice from some unknown source. Dr. Kuhlz rewound and examined that moment for hours, studying the nature in which the blue-haired girl moved and watching to pinpoint if she really was responsible for that strange phenomena. Repeatedly observing that portion of the film had indicated to him that she was responsible. How, he was uncertain. But excitement grew in him as the verge of clarity ebbed in amongst the tide of revealing the senshi.

Later he watched, spotting the familiar face of the blonde that was pasted at the center of the investigation. Minako Aino. She stared down Dox as though she were unafraid and sprinted to escape but was thwarted in her attempt. Giddily he witnessed the arrival of a senshi in uniform, her colors being green and pink. He watched with awe as she brazenly intercepted Dox's metal limbs, yelling to the side for Minako to get a pen. That was strange to him, but seeing her interact with Minako so naturally only confirmed to him that the police were right to tail the blonde.

What happened afterwards was a mystery to him. Dox's camera was focused solely on the green and pink clad soldier until she suddenly jumped away and a brute force pierced through Dox, disabling his machinery and ultimately ending the feed. Further research told him that the police had no idea Minako was even there to begin with, hinting that she had escaped before they arrived on scene.

A smile curled on his lips, but was short lived. The fact that he was being shutdown still stung, and he scathingly felt wronged in more ways than one. He had made a huge break in this investigation, one that would have otherwise never happened had it not been for his efforts. Yet, underappreciated and fired by an eighteen year old boy, he remained reprimanded and looked down upon for his developments.

Sure Dox caused a scare, but the cost was well worth the result in his eyes.

His head snapped to attention when he heard the faint scraping sound of a metal door opening against the rough tile. He turned around warily, shakily grabbing hold of a metal thermometer from his box.

"Who's there?" He asked breathily, inching around the darkened room anxiously with the thermometer raised. There was no response, only silence.

"Hello?" He tried again, feeling a cold chill rip through his spine as his knees quaked. There was a clinking sound that turned him on his heel in fear, only to spot a ladle rocking back and forth on the ground as though it were recently touched. He hesitated before nearing the object, crouching slowly to still its movements.

His body went ridged when he saw something scurry across the floor in his periphery. He jerked his head to the side, searching for what it might be. Forcing himself to be brave, he tightened his grip on the metal thermometer and crawled quietly towards the desk where he had seen the shapeless creature run behind and peered nervously around the corner.

A huge sigh of relief ran through him, relaxing his shoulders back to their usual slump as he settled onto the ground to sit.

"It's just a lab rat," he muttered to himself, taking off his glasses and swiping the back of his hand against his forehead to wipe off his sweat. The little rat skittered away hastily, disappearing in a hall of darkness as Dr. Kuhlz remained in the same seated position on the floor.

A small shift above his head, caught his attention. He turned his gaze upward and eyes widened as a pulsing black blob faintly aglow with red sprang from its perch to greedily attach itself to his face. He screamed against the cold, slimy substance and started to choke as it inched down his throat to suffocate him. His body convulsed uncontrollably until steadily easing into small twitches across his appendages. He lay sprawled on the floor, eyes vacant and mouth ajar as his shattered glasses occupied the space at his fingers where his skin started to exude black smoke.

* * *

Whew okay it took me a while to update and I feel as though not much has transpired but the mood has definitely changed to somewhat dreary for me. Anyhow, this chapter has been revised and I am slightly more fond of this one. There have been small modifications but I enjoy them more so hopefully it is the same for you readers! Of course I am always open to any comments, questions or concerns! Thank you for reading!

Nerf-or-Nothing: Thank you for your review! Yeah Heero is fun like that XD Always contradicting himself lol. I'm glad you like the pairings so far and I continue to be grateful for your encouraging words!

Feathers: Thank you for your review! I'm so flattered that you stayed with this story and hope this update has kept up with the momentum of the previous chapters. Plus I hope it's enjoyable to read XD I just read a book written in a style that has somehow rewired my brain so now I fear my writing might show some of those influences in some eye-sore-like ways. Hopefully it doesn't. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. XD

suisei no mitsukai: Thank you for your review! Not much Ami this chapter but Wufei is definitely there and yes his perceptive nature will sure come in handy later. For now, hopefully is train of thought was reasonable in this last chapter.

varee: Thank you for your review! I'm glad the chapters seem to be getting better! Progression is always good! Hopefully this chap keeps up with that trend XD

Sunshine Fia: So I've revised this chapter XD Since you were the first to review the previous, unrevised version I'm curious to know if you find this one is more plausible and what not. In short I'm extremely curious to know what you think about this, that is if you get time to read it :) I for one feel better with this newest revised chapter since the other one sort of left me feeling extremely uncomfortable about the integrity of everything. Anyhow, as always I definitely appreciate your review and look forward to hearing from you, maybe!

LoveAngel1705: Thank you! I hope this chapter is on par!

Sadekuuro: Whew, I'm relieved the actions scenes were decent. I definitely gotta improve on them but it's nice to know that they aren't too bad. Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

SmileyBasis2: Hah yes I updated but then hated the new chapter and took it down to revise it XD and now its back and hopefully improved. We'll see I guess. Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so far and hearing that the characterization is good is always encouraging! Makoto going to sketchy places and acting out her more physical needs was fun to write and I look forward to exploiting that bad habit later...or at least that is my goal. Lately the direction of this story has been changing XD

Jiyuu no Megami: Sorry for the mixup! I hope this chapter meets your fancy!

Once again, thank you all for reading and reviewing! I truly appreciate it! Also, it's been nice to read all these updated stories in this section. It's been invigorating and I'm excited for more!

4Shame


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